INEC refutes interference and tampering with Abia election results
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied a media report that its chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, interfered with the governorship election in Abia State.
In its report, an online platform alleges that Professor Yakubu instructed Professor Nnenna Oti, the Returning Officer for the Abia governorship election, on the guidelines to be followed to ensure that the Abia governorship election results were collated based on certain criteria, but that she has decided that the will of Abia voters will not be subverted under her watch.
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INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, issued a statement in response to the allegation, stating that INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu never called the Returning Officer to give her a directive.
“Instead, the Returning Officer requested the official communication regarding the Commission’s decision to suspend the recount in Abia State. The Chairman then ordered that, pending the delivery of the hard copies, electronic copies of the letter be sent immediately to the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Enugu State and the Administrative Secretary of Abia State.
“The Returning Officer for Abia State then directed that the Administrative Secretary read the contents of the letter aloud in the presence of agents of political parties, observers, the media, and security personnel at the Collation Centre.
“This is now being mischievously interpreted as a directive to the Returning Officer regarding a phantom criterion that contradicts the approved guidelines. There is nothing comparable.
“In fact, the letter’s content is essentially identical to the Commission’s Press Release dated Monday, March 20, 2023, which has been uploaded to the Commission’s social media platforms and is already available to the public.
As fake news, the public should disregard the story.
(TNT)
