Conduct new elections, NNPP advises INEC

On Tuesday, the New Nigeria Peoples Party demanded that the Independent National Electoral Commission halt the collation process, call off the 2023 general elections, and hold new elections.
The party premised its demand on the facts that while its members were disenfranchised with their logo blurred in the ballot, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), violated the Electoral Act by campaigning on the day of the election through the display of the candidate they voted for.

While thanking Nigerians, especially their teaming youths for their support, the NNPP said it was concerned that going by what happened during the conduct of the presidential election, INEC took the country back to the pre-2015 era, where ballot box snatching, violence, and voting buying and security agencies supporting the ruling party was prevalent.

The NNPP National Chairman, Prof. Rufai Alkali, at a press conference in Abuja, said the election should be canceled and a fresh one organized.

He said, “INEC used the most blurred image of our logo in the ballot paper that did not reflect the symbol of our party. Many of our party supporters could not identify the logo. They not only confused our supporters but disenfranchised them.

“On election day, President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami were seen showing Nigerians which party they should vote for.

“Campaign on election day amounts to causing a crisis since the Electoral Act says the ballot is secret. Campaign on election day is illegal based on the Electoral Act.

“This illegality done by the President and the Minister of Justice on election day speaks volumes. The election results being announced by INEC should be canceled.”

Speaking on the conduct of the election, Alkali said despite the Naira swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, vote buying was more, adding that in every electoral ward in the country, people were seen sharing money and raw food, and other inducements.

He said, “In the majority of the polling units, BVAS failed and some did not work and people were not allowed to vote. In most places, ballot boxes were stuffed with ballot papers.

“Where BVAS worked, there were attempts to change the results of the election,” Alkali said, adding that political parties were told that elections would be transmitted electronically.

“We were told election results will be transmitted electronically, but the ruling party and their candidate rejected it and INEC refused to upload the results in most of the polling units and election results were intercepted and changed.

“To save our democracy and our country, the present election results must not be accepted by Nigerians and by all friends of Nigeria.

“We are therefore calling on the immediate suspension of the announcement of results and the cancellation of the 2023 presidential election across the country. New elections should be conducted as soon as possible. The results of the election were changed on transit which is why the new electoral act seeks to avoid.”