FCT Council Polls: We Stand by INEC Returning Officer – Observer Groups

Accredited elections observer groups and civil society organisations that monitored the February 12, 2022 FCT Area Council elections said they agree with the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer that Christopher Zakka (Maikalangu) of the PDP scored the highest votes of 19,302 against his APC counterpart Murtala Usman who scored 13,249 votes.

They noted that any result contrary to what they observed from the polling units, to the FCT Collation Centre and announced by INEC in line with the 2022 Electoral Act and as submitted in their reports to the INEC chairman, has been manipulated or forged.

The position of the group was communicated in a communique issued after a roundtable discussion by a team of INEC Consultative Partners and Accredited Elections Observer Groups and CSOs yesterday in Abuja jointly signed by the convener of Intercontinental Leadership Initiative Stafford Bisong and the convener of Northern Patriotic Front Ali Abache.

The elections observer groups said that their reports were duly submitted to the chairman of INEC and acknowledged since March 21, 2022.

It further said any politician and his or her conspirators caught in the act of election results abuse (manipulation); Abuja Municipal Area Council judgement in focus, should be prosecuted and punished according to the laws of the land to serve as a deterrent to others.

Also, the CSOs called for improving on the BVAS for subsequent elections especially the 2023 general

elections in the area of management and operations.

The communique reads in part: “While we applaud technological advancements in the electoral process, INEC should find solutions in creating a seamless process for voter registration and PVC collection as the present process is not as effective as required. For example, many electorates couldn’t conclude their registration before the July 31st 2022 deadline by INEC resulting in calls for another extension of the exercise.

“The need for politicians to recalibrate their minds knowing that leadership is a trust for selfless service to the people and politics is the game that produces

such leaders. Politicians should stop seeing politics as a do or die affair.

“With a specific mention of the Magistrate Court judgement of the 5th of August 2022 sacking the FCT Chairman of the PDP for having fewer votes than that of his APC counterpart we implore politicians to awaken in themselves the Spirit of ‘Good Sportsmanship’ by learning to accept election results in a fair process which has been enhanced by the use of the BVAS in conducting elections by INEC.”

The group added that the Nigerian judiciary and politicians should be informed that the BVAS has broken the thuggery and ballot snatching jinx and has ended massive thumb

printing.