Ameh said INEC failed to ensure that the election results were credible despite its promises
By Kehinde Okeowo
The National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Peter Ojonugwa Ameh has urged judges handling the presidential election petitions to deliver a judgement rooted in truth and based on what transpired during the national polls.
He made this known while speaking with DAILY POST as Nigerians await the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal today, Wednesday, September 6.
According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to ensure that the election results were accurate and consistent with their promises by not transmitting the election results with IREV.
Ameh further claimed that the failure of the election umpire to adhere to its own established principles of engagement was a major setback for the country’s drive toward democracy and electoral integrity.
He said: “All we want is justice that is rooted in truth and justice that is based on what really transpired on the day of election when INEC changed the goal post in the middle of the match.
“INEC Promised Nigerians real time transmission of election results from polling units using the BVAS to capture and transmit the results to the IREV portal to eliminate fraud and uphold the integrity of our electoral process.
“But INEC failed woefully to ensure that the election results were accurate and consistent with their promises.
“INEC claimed the commission’s failure was a result of the glitches it suffered during the election but as a public institution that should be accountable to the people, it never gave full disclosure of the nature, cause or the extent of the glitches that occurred.
“The Electoral Act gave INEC powers to determine the methods of transmission of the election results and INEC officially recognized the dual transmission and accreditation system where in addition to the paper work, they were required to use the BVAS and IREV as stipulated in their own written manual for the conduct of 2023 General Elections.
“The failure of INEC to adhere to its own established principles of engagement in itself was a major setback for the country’s drive towards democracy and electoral integrity.”
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Similarly, a chieftain of the All Progressives Party (APC) Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has said the signs of the outcome of the judgement are very ominous and worrisome.
He called for prayers from Nigerians, saying comments by Justice Mary Odili, the warning by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the impending strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) are not good signs.
Eze said: “The signs of the outcome of the judgement by the Presidential Election Tribunal are very ominous and worrisome if the events of the past few days are anything to go by.
“First, the warning or rather the ungodly counsel by Justice Mary Odili that nobody should oppose or abuse the Justices based on the outcome of their judgement on the 2023 Presidential election. She, by her statement, has set up what we should expect.
“Secondly, the warning by the DSS, the Army and other security agencies against any protest because of the outcome of the judgement clearly shows that Nigerians should not expect any positive judgement. I learnt that the Army has already been mobilised accordingly.
“Thirdly, I learnt that some judges and politicians are already leaving the country, indicating that they know that injustice will be visited on Nigeria and Nigerians.
“I learnt that the Federal Government has warned Vice Chancellors not to allow their students to participate in any protest because of the judgement.
“Lastly, to worsen the situation of Nigerians, the NLC has asked workers, including the banks not to operate during this period and probably not to have any means of finance and to die of hunger.
“The situation is dicey and as I told my wife this morning, this country is pregnant and only God knows what she will deliver.
“My only counsel is that those that love this country should not sleep by this night but use that period to pray fervently to God to have mercy upon us and save this nation from the doom that awaits her.”