‘A Monumental Disgrace’ – Chidoka Fires INEC Over Failure To E-Transmit 2023 Election Results

A former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its failure to electronically transmit the 2023 election in real time.

Naija News recalls that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP0, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) counterparty, Peter Obi, had challenged the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25 election.

In their separate petitions before the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT), Atiku and Obi prayed to the court to nullify Tinubu’s win on the basis that INEC did not do a real-time transmission of results to the election portal, among others.

But the tribunal ruled that INEC was at liberty to transmit results in whichever way it deemed fit and struck out the petitions for lack of merit.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Chidoka said INEC could not be trusted for reneging on its promise that it would electronically transmit the 2023 election results in real time.

The PDP chieftain described the electoral agency as a monumental disgrace, adding that he is ashamed that INEC is associated with Nigeria and elections.

He said: “INEC is a monumental disgrace. INEC is an organisation I am ashamed to be associated with as a Nigerian,

“This is because of the promises INEC made with the Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun [governorship] elections.

“I came on this programme and called for third-party verification of the INEC system so that we are sure that on election day, what is going to happen that day would not lead to a glitch. On election day, INEC said there was a glitch.”

Speaking further, Chidoka stated that despite INEC’s inability to test the election results portal on a large scale, the electoral body’s defence at the tribunal was disappointing.

The former minister said the failure of the electoral agency to conduct a free and fair election paints the country badly in the comity of nations.

He said: “Despite not testing the system, it is a shame that INEC went to court to argue that not complying with its regulation does not make it a ground to cancel an election.

“As far as I’m concerned, INEC’s struggle with such an issue paints the country badly in the comity of nations. I wonder why Nigeria cannot emulate countries like India and Indonesia, which have large populations but conduct better polls.”