Coalition Call for Cancellation of Presidential Elections, says Exercise Violates Electoral Laws

The Nigerian Christian Leaders Coalition has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to cancel the 2023 presidential election because it is a violation of the constitution and the 2022 electoral act.

The coalition made allegations that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has failed to comply with its own regulation and the electoral law.

They made their positions known on Tuesday during a press conference in Abuja, adding that the election was a sham, and never free and fair.

They said, “ We are careful to note that INEC was at the forefront of this advocacy to amend the law to ensure that every vote will be counted and every vote counts.

Their main grouse is refusal of INEC to electronically transmit the results of voting directly from the polling units onto a central server (IREV) platform as required by the electoral act.

They continued, “ We have read reports and received briefings from several of our members who voted and monitored the elections. We have also listened to the preliminary report of international and domestic election observers.

“ All these eminent observer missions lamented the colossal failure of logistics and integrity of the process provided by law and the total misconduct process in the 2023 polls.

“ The most distressing aspect of the conduct of the election is the refusal of INEC to electronically transmit the results of voting directly from the polling units to the IREV Platform as required by the electoral act.

“ INEC has also used this reliable method in off-season gubernatorial elections in Anambra, Osun and Ekiti without significant hitches.

“ Today, it is sad that INEC that led in the enactment of a new electoral act that mandates electronic transmission has refused to comply with this provision and rendered the results that it is presently collating dubious and unreliable.

“ In the light of these flagrant violations of the law regarding the conduct of the election, which include (but not limited to) voting by underaged children; collusion with the security agencies, in several documented cases, to perpetuate violence, and the fraudulent tempering and falsification of results, etc.

They declared that INEC has thus put the legitimacy of the 2023 Presidential election results in terrible disrepute.

“ We therefore call on INEC to suspend further action on the election results and then explain to Nigerians the circumstances for this grave violation of the electoral law and the administrative actions it intends to take to rectify this breach of integrity of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Furthermore they said, as Christian leaders, we would continue to pray for peace and unity in Nigeria and it is thus our prayer that INEC will immediately do the right thing by canceling the Presidential Elections so as to restore the integrity of the electoral process in Nigeria.