Some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC)were Saturday nearly lynched for refusing to upload results of the presidential elections collated at a polling unit located at kilimanjoro junction, along Okporo road in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers state.
Metronetworknews gathered that the officials were rescued by riot policemen from Okporo police station.
Meanwhile, Labour Party, LP has raised the alarm that the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) is refusing to upload results of the presidential elections collated in various polling units in Lagos and Delta states to the Central Server.
The National Chairman of the party, Barrister Julius Abure made this claim in statement issued on Saturday.
According to Abure, the officials of the INEC, in connivance with the security agencies, are claiming that the BVAS have suddenly developed fault and therefore cannot function.
The chairman said that information from the party’s field men has it that in places like Agege, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Surulere, and Ibeju Lekki, amongst others where results shows that Labour Party won convincingly, the INEC officials claim that the BVAS suddenly developed fault when it concerns uploading results of the presidential election.
According to him, “Information reaching me has it that in Lagos, they have refused to upload the results for the presidential election, they have uploaded that of the Senate and House of Representatives but for the presidential, they have refused.
“And they are using the police to drive our agents and supporters out of the place. And they said that they have firm instruction from INEC headquarters not to upload.
“For example, in Kosofe, they put the collation centre in a Local Government Area Headquarters. The place is sorrounded by APC and people are afraid of their life. They are not uploading, they said that they have been giving instruction to insist that the BVAS is faulty. And most of the places we won, but they have refused to upload.
“As I speak, APC officials are in Yaba office of INEC negotiating with the officials. What I have said now is happening in Agege, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Surulere, we have this situation all over. In Ibeju Lekki, our local government chairman who attempted to stop them was arrested by the police.”
Abure said that similar situation is playing out across the collation centres in Delta state.
The Labour Party chairman, however, called on INEC to ensure that only genuine and verifiable results generated from the various polling units should be uploaded.
He also called on the police to help this democracy to work and should resist the lure by the politicians to mar the gains of democracy by refusing to be used to deny Nigerians their choice of leaders
Similarly,Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike says the associated slow performance of the Bi-Modal Voters Accreditation Machine System (BIVAS) is evidence of poor level of preparation on the part of the Independent Electoral National Commission (INEC) concerning the 2023 general election.
Governor Wike expressed his displeasure when he spoke with journalists shortly after he cast his vote at 12.42pm at his polling unit 7 in Ward 9, Rumueprikom of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The governor and his wife, Justice Suzzette Eberechi Nyesom-Wike had returned two hours after they were initially unable to cast their vote due to failure of BIVAS to accredit them.
Governor Wike said despite the promise of fixing the identified problem that delayed voting at the polling unit, INEC seemed still not in full control in order to ensure the BIVAS machine operate maximally.
“Of all the promises made since I left here 2 hours ago, the BIVAS is still not very functional. I don’t want to begin to suspect foul play.
“But from reports that I have received from other local governments, it does appear to me that it is the same experience.
“And then, you now wonder why it will be the same experience to Rivers people. I don’t want to have any suspicion yet. But I don’t think it is quite encouraging.”
Governor Wike pointed to how the problem should not be allowed unresolved because that could lead to disenfranchising registered voters in the polling unit and other parts of the State that had similar experience.
“My people cannot be disenfranchised. As you can see, I have never done an election where you see this kind of crowd. I believe that they will extend the voting period (time) to 6 pm.
“Look at the time now; voting ought to have started from 8:30am to 2:30pm but we are just starting. So, I’m not happy with the preparedness of INEC as regards the election.”
The governor said the voters that have come out are patient, and enduring the scorching sun because they are determined to be part of the process.
“The electorate are still staying under the sun to make sure that they exercise their franchise, it is their right to vote. We have also told them that we believe it will be settled, but their patience cannot be taken for granted.
“I believe that every Nigerian would want to participate in this particular election. So, INEC should do everything within their powers to make sure that the people vote. If the people don’t vote, they won’t be happy.”
It will be recalled that the Rivers State governor was unable to cast his vote at about 10:50am when he first arrived his polling unit. The BIVAS assigned to the unit could not function because of the technical problem it encountered, which made accrediting the governor and his wife difficult.
