APC charges INEC to address hitches that marred presidential poll

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the postponement of the governorship and state house of assembly elections and rectify the errors that marred the February 25 elections.

The INEC postponed the state elections from March 11 to March 18 following the ruling of a Court of Appeal, Abuja, which approved its request to reset the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, in Abuja, the ruling party urged INEC to secure the data in the BVAS in its cloud facilities.

The statement read: “The APC respect the decision of INEC to postpone the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections from 11th March, 2023 to Saturday 18th March 2023, following the ruling by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on the reconfiguration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used for the presidential election.

“While noting its reassurance that data from the Presidential and National Assembly elections will be properly backed up on its cloud facilities, we urge INEC to do everything within its power to preserve and protect the integrity of the extracted data from BVAS as it has committed to do before court.

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“Further, we enjoin INEC to use the opportunity presented by the election postponement to address any gaps or hitches identified in the presidential election in order to avoid a recurrence in the March 18, election.

“Even as Presidential Candidates and their political parties explore and exercise their constitutional liberty to challenge or defend the outcome of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, we must remind ourselves of the overriding duty that we bear to eschew conduct and action capable of undermining the peace of our country or imperil the capacity of INEC to conduct the upcoming Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections.

“Our candidate, now President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, emerged as the overwhelming choice of Nigerians in the presidential election which was free, fair and in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act and INEC Guidelines for the 2023 General Elections.

“We are thankful for our renewed presidential mandate, and urge our supporters and indeed all Nigerians to double down on their support for our great Party, and its candidates in the upcoming Gubernatorial and State Assembly election.”

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