INEC fires back, disclaims lack of trust in electoral process, provides data

By Omeiza Ajayi 

ABUJA: The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has dismissed claims that Nigerians person mislaid religion successful elections, describing specified narratives arsenic propaganda without proof.

Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi told Vanguard connected Sunday nighttime that the surge successful the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration CVR workout tells a antithetic story.

According to him, the enthusiasm, peculiarly among young Nigerians, is impervious that citizens person not fixed up connected the ballot box.

“The grounds is overwhelming. On the precise archetypal time the CVR portal went live, 69,376 Nigerians pre-registered successful conscionable 7 hours. Within 1 week, implicit 1.3 cardinal had signed up. By the 5th week, much than 5.3 cardinal citizens had uploaded their details. There is nary African state that has recorded specified figures wrong a month”, helium said.

Oyekanmi stressed that the Electoral Act 2022 requires each online applicants to implicit the process successful person, and wrong the archetypal month, 764,695 Nigerians did truthful – either completing their online pre-registration oregon registering physically.

He argued that these figures shatter the story of elector apathy and exposure critics of the Commission arsenic politically motivated.

“Some of the loudest voices attacking INEC are the aforesaid radical clamouring for america to instrumentality implicit section authorities elections. They cannot proceed to locomotion connected some sides of the road,” helium said.

Citing the 2023 wide elections arsenic impervious of INEC’s reforms, Oyekanmi noted that the workout produced the astir divers National Assembly since 1999, with 7 governmental parties winning Senate seats and 8 securing practice successful the House of Representatives.

He said; “The Commission has made important improvements to the electoral system. The 2023 wide election, much than immoderate different election, demonstrates this fact. The predetermination produced the astir divers National Assembly since the restoration of ideology successful 1999. In the Senate, 7 governmental parties won varying numbers of seats, comprising APC-59 seats, PDP-36, LP-8, NNPP-2, SDP-2, APGA-1 and YPP-1.  

“Similarly, 8 governmental parties won seats successful the House of Representatives. They see APC-177, PDP-117, LP-35, NNPP-19, APGA-5, ADC – 2, SDP-2 and YPP-2

“For the Governorship elections, APC won 16 States, PDP-10, LP-1 and NNPP–1. In fact, 9 governmental parties won seats successful the State Assemblies. They see APC-533, PDP-355, LP-38, NNPP-29, APGA-20, YPP-8, SDP-7, A-1, and ADC – 1.

“The caller bye-elections besides amusement that Nigerians person kept religion with the electoral process. Only a credible electoral process could person delivered that level of competition,” helium added.

He further pointed retired that 9 governmental parties present inhabit seats successful State Assemblies, portion the results of caller bye-elections corroborate that Nigerians are inactive consenting to trial their choices astatine the polls.

“Instead of peddling unfounded claims, critics should admit the advancement we’ve made. The numbers don’t prevarication — Nigerians are inactive invested successful their democracy”, Oyekanmi said.

The station INEC fires back, disclaims deficiency of spot successful electoral process, provides data appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.