INEC Speaks On Calls For Presidential Election Cancellation
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked political parties not satisfied with the outcome of the February 25 presidential election to seek redress. Recall that INEC declared the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, as the winner of the just-concluded presidential election.
According to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the PDP who had 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) who scored 6,101,533 votes. However, the PDP, LP, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) rejected the results of the election and demanded a cancelation of the exercise. The opposition parties also demanded the resignation of the chairman of the electoral body.
The PDP and LP have also gone to court to contest the declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer, Bola Tinubu, as the president-elect. But in an interview with The Punch on Sunday, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, advised aggrieved parties to approach the Election Petition Tribunal instead of asking the Commission to cancel the election.
H said: “The aggrieved parties have a right and an opportunity to ventilate their grievances at the Election Petition Tribunal if they are dissatisfied with the outcome of an election. So far, in the case of the just concluded presidential election, two political parties have openly rejected the outcome and have already indicated their intention to do just that – go to court.”
IRev Portal Now Working
Oyekanmi also confirmed that the INEC Result-viewing portal (IRev) suffered glitches during the presidential and National Assembly elections, adding that the portal is now up perfectly. He stated that the IReV portal would be deployed during the governorship and House of Assembly elections on Saturday, March 11, 2023. He stated, “The technical glitches that affected it on February 25 have now been resolved. It will be deployed for the governorship and state Assembly elections scheduled for March 11.”
Source: Naija News
Naira Redesign: SERAP Urges Buhari to Obey Supreme Court Order
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to disclose details of the measures he was taking to immediately obey the Supreme Court decision extending the validity of the old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes and also to direct the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to continue to receive the notes from Nigerians.
SERAP also urged the president to publicly instruct the CBN to immediately and effectively implement the Supreme Court decision ordering an end to the cash withdrawal limits imposed by banks because such restrictions violate citizens’ right to freely use their property.
SERAP also urged him to disclose measures he was taking to direct the CBN to immediately re-circulate the old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes, as ordered by the Supreme Court.
In a letter dated March 4, 2023 and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said there was an overriding public interest in disclosing the details of the measures the government and the CBN were taking to effectively and satisfactorily obey the Supreme Court decision.
The letter, read in part: “We would be grateful if the requested information and recommended measures are implemented within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. “If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our requests. The implementation by your government of the CBN policy on the redesign of the country’s currency has contributed to violations of citizens’ rights.
“SERAP is concerned about the persistent disobedience of court orders by your government, and the apparent lack of respect for constitutional and international rule of law obligations. Nigerians are entitled to the details of the level of compliance by your government and the CBN with the Supreme Court decision as a matter of transparency, justice and the rule of law.”
Source: Thisday