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2023 polls: Presidential, NASS elections marred with irregularities – TMG
The Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, says it noticed a excessive stage of irregularities throughout Saturday’s Presidential and Nationwide Meeting elections throughout the nation.
TMG in a press release signed by its Chairman, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, stated the election was flawed by large vote shopping for, widespread violence and voter intimidation in addition to disregard to the electoral act.
The group, which acknowledged that they’d observers in each a part of the nation, stated they aren’t stunned with the result of the election, as comparable incidents was noticed through the primaries of some political events.
He stated “TMG notes that the final conduct of the election throughout the nation was peaceable in most elements, as voting occurred with out recourse to violence. Notably, this was additionally largely occasioned by the deployment of safety personnel throughout the nation. Regardless of these positive aspects, TMG in some instances noticed incidences of voter intimidation and suppression, significantly in Lagos and Rivers States. In Lagos for example, voters had been threatened by thugs to vote for a sure get together and candidate or keep away from voting utterly. Voter intimidation and suppression had been additionally evident within the violent conduct and disruption of polls as recorded in these two states the place political thugs carted away, burnt, and destroyed election supplies.
The group additionally faulted the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee, INEC, and its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, stating that the electoral physique did not successfully discharge its responsibly, and in addition flouted the electoral act, including that some polling models skilled delayed graduation of voting, incomplete voting supplies, malfunctional BVAS units and absence of INEC employees.
“TMG monitored the IREV portal late into the night time of election day earlier than legislative outcomes began to trickle in. This contravenes Part 50 of the Electoral Act 2022, which goals to attenuate human interference and manipulation of polling unit outcomes.
“TMG additionally noticed the open and scandalous disregard for the secrecy of the poll as demonstrated by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Legal professional Common of the Federation who’re anticipated to be seen to show the very best political decorum. This singular act emboldened different get together devoted together with the Senate Majority Chief, Orji Uzor Kalu to brazenly show his thumb-printed poll paper in contravention to the Electoral Act, 2022.
“On the Nationwide Outcomes Collation Centre, the INEC Chairman insisted on continuing with outcome collation towards the request by get together brokers to substantiate electronically transmitted outcomes. The brazen disregard for the Electoral Act provision for the transmission of outcomes electronically undermined the method. . Therefore, the credibility query on the result of the presidential election isn’t a product of failure of expertise to usher within the wanted transparency, however a product of non software of the expertise.”
TMG, nevertheless, urged INEC to evaluate all instances of electoral malpractice offered earlier than it.
The group additionally added that with a purpose to guarantee a free and truthful election within the nation, there should be strict adherence to the electoral act, including that electoral offenders of any form should be arrested and delivered to e book.
