2023 Elections: Labour Party Raises Alarm Over INEC’s Failure To Upload Presidential Election Results

Labour Party (LP) has accused some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of colluding with certain security agencies to stall the upload of results to the Commission’s central server.

The party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, in a statement on Saturday evening, as voting in the presidential and National Assembly elections nationwide began to wind down.

“It has come to the attention of the national leadership of the Labour Party on the electoral impunity going on in Lagos and Delta states after today’s presidential and national assembly elections where the results of the presidential elections collated in various polling units in the states are not being uploaded to the Central Server,” he said.

“The party is alarmed that some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in connivance with the security agencies, including the Police are claiming that the BVAS deployed in most polling units have suddenly developed fault and therefore cannot be used to upload results emanating from the polling units.”

Abure cited incidents in Lagos State, including areas such as Agege, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Surulere, and Ibeju Lekki.

He decried that “results show that Labour Party won convincingly,” adding that “similar manipulation” was recorded in Delta State across “most collation centres”.

The statement added, “The claims by INEC officials that the BVAS suddenly developed fault and could not be used to upload results of the presidential election could only be a tale from the moonlight.

“We have refused to buy the falsehood. We ask, is it not thesame BVAS that was used to upload the results emanating from the Senate and House of Representatives election that is used for the presidential election? How did they all suddenly developed fault?”

See the full statement below:

STATEMENT

INEC Officials Refusing To Upload Presidential Election Results In Lagos, Delta

It has come to the attention of the national leadership of the Labour Party on the electoral impunity going on in Lagos and Delta states after today’s presidential and national assembly elections where the results of the presidential elections collated in various polling units in the states are not being uploaded to the Central Server.

The party is alarmed that some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in connivance with the security agencies, including the Police are claiming that the BVAS deployed in most polling units have suddenly developed fault and therefore cannot be used to upload results emanating from the polling units.

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We have noted with dismay that these incidences cut across most areas in Lagos state but significantly in places like Agege, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Surulere, and Ibeju Lekki, amongst others where results show that Labour Party won convincingly. We also attest that similar manipulation was also prominent in Delta state across most collation centers

The claims by INEC officials that the BVAS suddenly developed fault and could not be used to upload results of the presidential election could only be a tale from the moonlight. We have refused to buy the falsehood. We ask, is it not thesame BVAS that was used to upload the results emanating from the Senate and House of Representatives election that is used for the presidential election? How did they all suddenly developed fault?

The party is also worried that our agents and supporters were refused in some of the collation centres to participate in the electoral activities while agents of the other parties were giving access. Our agents were also told that instruction to suspend BVAS for the uploading of results was from INEC headquarters. One of our Local Government chairmen who dared to question the development was assaulted and arrested by the Police. The Labour Party is also aware that some officials of the APC are in Yaba office of INEC negotiating with the officials.

We therefore call on the leadership of INEC to ensure that only genuine and verifiable results generated from the various polling units are uploaded and declared.

We also call on the police to remain steadfast in ensuring that they respect their oath of allegiance to the nation and also by refusing to be used to deny Nigerians their choice of leaders.

Barrister Julius Abure

National Chairman

Labour Party

25-02-2023

(TNT)