Election Umpires during the briefing. Photo Credit:Julian Osamoto/Radio Nigeria
The slow upload of results on the INEC result portal is becoming a cause for concern, even as different Civil Society groups are asking the commission to remain non-partisan.
Among the organisations that have expressed concerns are Connected Development (CODE) and Ready to Lead Africa.
At a news conference in Abuja, the Chief-Executive of CODE, Mallam Hamzat Lawal said INEC’s portal had the results of 40,000 polling units only, which he said was worrisome.
” This is more disturbing as we are aware that INEC created over 50,000 new polling units with less than 100 registered voters in each of them, and elections was since concluded in all these polling units at 2:30pm yesterday,” Mallam Lawal noted.
“One would expect that by midnight of yesterday(Saturday), all this polling units results should have been uploaded,” he said.
Going back memory lane, Mallam Lawal said: “This expectation is coming from the experience we observed in the Ekiti and Osun Gubernatorial elections, where we witnessed over 95% of the results uploaded before midnight on election day.”
In the light of this, CODE and its partners called on INEC to “indeed be independent” and deliver on it’s mandate to Nigerians.
“Nigerians deserve efficiency, they deserve fairness, with people denying themselves sleep and keeping wake under the rain, Nigerians deserve better service from public institutions,” he said.
The CODE Chief-Executive also advised that Observers be allowed to monitor the collation process.
“As lack of access to independent observers and strict adherence to the electoral act of 2022, as well as INEC’s guidelines, might lead to apprehension,” he noted.
Ready to Lead
Meanwhile, Ready to Lead Africa has accused the Nigerian police of beating up one of its female observers.
The observer, who was allegedly beaten up in Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State, was said to be attempting to gain access to the collation centre.
Global President, Ready to Lead Africa, Godbless Otubure, disclosed this in Abuja while briefing Journalists about some incidents recorded during the polls.
He said: “There have been several incidents of the LGA collation centres either not open or opened late. In addition, 34 reports of violence (34) voting, 31 reports of vote counting suspension, and 30 reports of polling stations running out of materials.”
Mr Otubure, who said some observers in Ibinabo West LGA of same state were also denied access to the collation centre, advised INEC to ensure strict adherence to the electoral act, 2022, and INEC guidelines on collation.
Reporting by Julian Osamoto; Editing by Tony Okerafor