February 27, (THEWILL) – The Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council has alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) are making moves through a court order to stop the ongoing announcement of Saturday’s Presidential election results.
THEWILL reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced processing of the results of the February 25 presidential election at the International Conference Center (ICC) in Abuja
Results of Ekiti, Enugu, Yobe, Lagos, Ogun and Oyo have been announced at the National Collation Center in Abuja.
However, some opposition parties including the PDP, LP and seven (7) other parties on Monday, staged a Walkout at the National Collation Center, faulting the processes the National Commission has adopted.
The National Collation Agents for the PDP, Senator Dino Melaye and Emeka Ihedioha along with other party agents, had complained that the results presented by INEC SCOPs were not uploaded on the c
Commission’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV), as repeatedly promised by the electoral umpire before the February 25 presidential poll.
They alleged manipulation of some figures, calling on the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Prof Mahood Yakubu, to review them.
They also insisted the figures from the different States should be uploaded on the server of the Commission.
But a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson of the Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, said, “We have it on good authority that the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party have perfected plans to finally scuttle our democracy and throw the country into constitutional crises by surreptitiously obtaining ex parte court orders stopping the announcement of the presidential election results, which they fear have gone against them.
“The walk-out they staged today at the National Collation Center is just a precursor to executing the plan
“Nigerians would recall that the June 12, 1993 debacle that brought Nigeria to its knees and caused our country international isolation was precipitated by a court injunction stopping the announcement of presidential election results. The court order was obtained by a certain Association for Better Nigeria headed then by one Chief Authur Nzeribe. This is exactly what Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr. Peter Obi want to foist on this nation again because of their inordinate ambitions. This is not surprising because both candidates were nowhere to be seen when ASIWAJU was fighting for the democracy we all enjoy today.
“However, we wish to draw the attention of Nigerians, the Judiciary and the world to the provisions of section 84 (15) of the Electoral Act, which prohibits the grant of injunctions to stop the holding of elections (which includes the declaration of results). The section states:
“Nothing in this section shall empower the courts to stop the holding of primaries or general elections under this Act pending the determination of a suit.
“This has prompted their instructions to their campaign organizations, especially their spokespersons, to continue to issue statements, making false claims of ‘victory’ when there is no single scientific basis for such claims.
“For instance, as outlandish as some of their claims of manipulation are, they have not pointed at one single presidential election result in any single unit in the whole country where they scored a particular figure with a result sheet duly signed by their agent that was subsequently changed at a Collation Centre.
“All we hear are sound bites of their spokespersons, huffing and puffing about winning the election just to whip up public sentiments to prepare the ground to reject the results when they are eventually released by INEC.
“For us, our position is very simple and straightforward: we wish to allow the legal process of declaring presidential election results to take place peacefully and in an orderly fashion. ASIWAJU is not desperate but is very confident of victory.
“We, therefore, wish to advise anyone, who wishes to aid and encourage these candidates along this infamous part to remember the June 12 debacle.
“They may also wish to learn a lesson or two from President Muhammadu Buhari, who resorted to the court of law in 2003, 2007 and 2011 when the same PDP ‘defeated’ him in those presidential elections in controversial circumstances. President Buhari, as a true statesman and democrat, never resorted to underhand tactics to declare himself President.
“We hope a word is enough for the wise.”
