2023 Polls: Protesters Storm Collation Centre In Abuja, Demand Electronic Transmission Of Results

Some aggrieved voters, on Tuesday, stormed the National Collation Centre at the International Conference Centre in Abuja to demand for electronic transmission of results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The protesters in their numbers, who said they were members of differet political parties, expressed dissatisfaction over INEC refusal to use electronic transmission of election results as promised by the electoral umpire before the 2023 general elections

Speaking with journalists during the protest which took place at Emeka Anyaoku street (about a kilometre to the collation centre), one of the protesters, Ilemona Onoja, said their major demand was for the INEC Chairman to fulfil what he promised Nigerians several times before the elections, which is a transparent and open electoral process.

According to Onoja, the process was not being followed according to extant laws, saying: “What we are seeing is a situation where results that were written, that didn’t follow the process, are being announced as the results of the election contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act, contrary to the INEC guidelines that they issued, and contrary to the promises of the INEC chairman.

“We came out on the 25th of February to cast our votes for our preferred candidates. We were told that a process was going to be followed. This process involves accreditation, voting and our ballots will be counted. After it has been counted, it will be transmitted directly to a central server. And that on the day of the election, at the national collation centre, that central server will be displayed and we will be able to follow the results.

“Now, all we are saying is, we don’t mind if our preferred candidate loses, just give us a transparent and open process. Let us be able to see the results. INEC promised us they will follow a certain procedure, we are asking them to follow it.”

Also speaking, another angry protester, Barrister Lillian Kozau, called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow his image to be tarnished and his legacy destroyed by INEC.

She said: “INEC assured us that it would be a transparent process. They assured us of a transparent process and that the BVAS would be used, which is supposed to be an electronic process. Yet, after three days, 23 states still needed to be uploaded. Why, does this mean we will be doing this for one week?

“Why will a result be deleted from a platform after it has been uploaded? What are they up to? All we asked for was a transparent process. We just wanted whoever we voted for to emerge as the president of this country. We just want hope; we just want things to work. We are not asking for too much.

“We are not violent. Nobody is holding any weapon; we are just trying to make our voices heard. Please, our president should call INEC chairman to order. Eight years have passed, and we don’t care what happened. We are looking to the future. Buhari should not let his legacy to be tarnished. Let them follow due process. Whosoever we have voted for should be announced as the president of the country. Let things be done rightly.”

For her part, Dr. Lovett Izekor, called on the international community, international observers and all the lovers of democracy in the world to mount pressure on the government of President Buhari to do the right thing by ensuring that INEC stick to the promise of eletronic transition of election results.