West African leaders urge INEC to investigate claims of election fraud

Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adhere to the Electoral Act 2022’s requirements on the compilation of results for last weekend’s elections.

The leaders made the call in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, former Ghanaian leader, John Mahama, and other members of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Mission to Nigeria.

They urged the commission to investigate claims of electoral fraud across the country.

The elders urged everyone to remain calm and appealed to INEC to resolve the issues and procedural queries that have already been brought up by various stakeholders.

They argued that INEC’s adherence would maintain Nigerians’ faith in the continuing compilation of Saturday’s election results.

The elders met with the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)’s Rabiu Kwankwaso and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party as part of efforts to ensure post-election peace.

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The LP and PDP had earlier on Tuesday declared that the refusal of INEC to upload the results of the election electronically as stipulated by Section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022 was unacceptable.

The parties demanded the resignation of INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu and a fresh election in the country.

“While the elections were peaceful in a number of places, challenges of delay in arrival of electoral materials, voter suppression, ballot box vandalization and incidents of violence in some states, created anxiety among citizens who were passionate to cast their ballots.

“The Mission notes that some political parties and concerned citizens have raised procedural questions and allegations of infractions of the electoral law in the process of collation of results. We call on all aggrieved parties to document and present their claims to INEC, in accordance with the Electoral Act 2022.

“The Mission notes the imperative of retaining the confidence of Nigerians in the ongoing electoral process and, therefore, urges the Independent National Electoral Commission to thoroughly investigate those concerns and comply with the electoral law and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the process of collating the election results.”

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