The Professional for Good Governance and Social Justice, PODP, has condemned the outcome of the presidential and national assembly describing it as not a true “reflect the will of the people.”
Convener of the group, Dr Ben Chukwu said “We cannot in good conscience accept these results, and we know that most Nigerians feel the same way.”
According to him, the problems with the process lie squarely with the Independent National Electoral Commission, which failed to comply with the law governing the electoral process.
According to him, “Sometimes in November 2022, the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, called a press conference to debunk the leaked information that INEC had planned not to upload the raw data at the Polling Units into the BVAS,” he said, adding that, ” He went all the way to Chatham House in UK to reiterate this very point.
“At home, he had, on more than fifty occasions, asserted that INEC would upload all data straight from the Polling Units into the INEC server through the BVAS. The INEC Chairman himself broke the very fabric of the Electoral Act. He unflinchingly lied to Nigerians. He neither addressed the irregularities nor acknowledged the vociferous concerns of Nigerians but went ahead to announce his cooked-up electoral figures. Educated Nigerians are wondering how a Professor who supposedly has conducted researches and understands the implications of data accuracy, could announce a winner from an obvious mumbo-jumbo of figures that, at best, were shamefully incorrect. Nigerians are wondering what our professors actual profess, and what the Ivory Tower portends.
“Professor Yakubu’s conduct has no doubt embarrassed Nigerians, especially his colleagues in the Ivory Tower. His unconscionable behavior has undermined the trust and respect for our Citadel of Higher Learning, and has caused irredeemable damage to his professional reputation. May he ever be remembered as the INEC Chairman who had greatness thrust upon him but who, flagrantly, flung it away, setting Nigeria decades back into the annals of global analogue history.
Arguing that the International Observers have witnessed the sham called Presidential election, he validated his claim that the results of the election do not reflect the true will of the people.
He said, “We have seen too many blatant irregularities, too many instances of culpable voter suppression, and too many cases of daredevil fraud. We have seen ballot boxes snatched and carted away, sometimes with the active support and cover of the Police. We have experienced thumb-printed ballot papers set on fire right in the presence of helpless voters. We have recorded polling stations opening late and closing early, and voters turned away at the polls.”
He called on all professional bodies and organized unions to join his group in seeking redress by coming together as a country and demand the restoration of our stolen mandate.
“We must demand that every vote be counted, that every voice be heard. We must demand an end to the ignoble corruption, barefaced lies and outright deception that have plagued our politics for far too long.
“We know that this is a difficult moment for all of us. But we cannot give up hope. We cannot give up on our vision of a better future, a better Nigeria. We cannot let the forces of darkness and despair triumph over the forces of light and hope. Therefore, let us stand up for what is right. Let us reject these election results, and let us demand a new result that truly reflects the votes by the people in the 25th of Feb election.
He urged the electorate to troop out in numbers and make their votes count for a new Nigeria in the governorship and Houses of Assembly election on March 11, 2023.
