…Faults INEC’s Performance
The last weekend Presidential/National Assembly Elections have continued to generate controversies among varying interest groups and the Nigerian populace.
In their own reaction, the Human Rights/Community based organization under the auspices of Homeland Awareness and Sensitization Initiative expressed dismay over alleged incompetence and lack of integrity on the part of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free and fair election in Nigeria.
Charles Inko-Tariah, the Project Coordinator of the group made this known during a press conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, February 28, saying a rare opportunity to change the narratives has been dashed.
The group accused INEC of deliberately causing network problems and failure to provide code for the BVAS to operate including switching off of the server, substituting originally trained Adhoc and RAC staff few hours to election as directed by their paymasters to perfect their manipulation.
He alleged that INEC intentionally manipulated the BVAS to upturn the results across the state in addition to undue influence on the chairman and REC’s by politicians.
The group called on the immediate redeployment of the REC and head of ICT in Rivers State and suggested the engagement of trained Adhoc Staff in the coming governorship elections, adding that election results be transmitted at the polling units.
The Project Coordinator of the group also appealed to the international observers to focus more on Rivers State where rights of citizens are allegedly violated with impunity.
It would be recalled that the Federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari spent heavily to procure the Bi-Model Voters Accreditation Machine System (BIVAS) to ensure free and fair election, while assuring Nigerians that election results would be uploaded from the unit level and transmitted accordingly in line with Section 60(5) of the electoral Act, 2022.
This, he said gave a whole of lot of hope and confidence, and created strong voter empathy across the country and particularly, Rivers State.
He demanded that President Buhari swiftly prevail on INEC and order for a swift investigation into the noted inadequacies and allegations against INEC, as well as correct the said irregularities before the upcoming governorship election on March 11.
