Cancel Released 2023 Presidential Election Results – PDP Tells INEC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the results of the presidential election released so far.

The National Spokesman of the party, Debo Ologunagba, made this known in a statement titled, “PDP To INEC: Halt Announcement Of Manipulated Results Now, Electoral Commission Pushing Nigerians To The Wall”.

Ologunagba said the party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has garnered more votes than his All Progressive Congress (APC) counterpart, Bola Tinubu, going by the results at the disposal of the party.

The party spokesman, therefore, said as a creation of the law, the electoral body must obey the Electoral Act 2022 and cancel the presidential election marred with irregularities.

He stated that it is very clear from the votes as cast at the polling units across the country that Atiku substantially defeated Tinubu in line with the expressed aspiration and Will of Nigerians.

Ologunagba said, “INEC deliberately refused to commence the collation of results 48 hours after the election.

“For clarity, Section 64 (4) (b) of the Electoral Act, 2022 specifically provides thus: “A collation officer or returning officer at an election shall collate and announce the result of an election subject to his or her verification and confirmation that Section 60 (4) of the Electoral Act 2022, said any result announced by INEC is ultra vires, illegal, and of no consequence unless they are results already transmitted directly from the polling units. So procedurally, it further noted that INEC cannot continue to announce results that are yet to be transmitted as expressly stated in the relevant Sections of the Electoral Act.”

The spokesperson maintained that the alleged deliberate delay by INEC paved the way for the “reported compromise, alteration, falsification and switching of election results in favour of the APC in Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Ondo, Ekiti, Kebbi, Ogun and other states where our candidate was in clear lead”.

“The PDP, therefore, rejects the manipulated election results as announced by INEC while cautioning that INEC is pushing Nigerians to the wall by announcing manipulated results.

“We are aware that INEC embarked on extensive and illegal cancellation of election results in many States of the country. For instance, in Sokoto State over 200 Polling Units results where the PDP is in the clear lead have also been canceled thereby disenfranchising over 200,000 registered voters.”

He added, “Information at our disposal indicates that INEC deliberately refused to commence the process of announcement of results more than 48 hours after the close of election and collation of results from the various Polling Units, which result by law was expected to be transmitted directly into INEC Server/Website as provided for under Section 68 of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The PDP on behalf of Nigerians and in the interest of national peace, demands that INEC halts further announcement of manipulated results and immediately transmit the authentic election results from the Polling Units directly its server/Website as required by law before the continuation of the announcement of results.

“The PDP advised that INEC should know that the party, majority of informed Nigerians as well as International Election Observers already have the results of votes as cast at the Polling Units across the country adding that its agents have been on the alert and we have all the results in our database.

“The PDP will not hesitate to make public the election results as cast at the Polling Units if that becomes necessary.”