A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) in the South South region has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the presidential and National Assembly elections in parts of Delta State South senatorial district over alleged rigging, violence and other irregularities.
The call was contained in a press release jointly signed and made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday by the convener, Citizens Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices, Comrade Danesi Momoh Prince; the national coordinator, Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative, Mallam Suleiman Musa; and Comrade Igwe Ude-Umanta of Guardian of Democracy and Development Initiative, the group maintained that the just concluded elections in some specific areas in Delta State were marred with irregularities and should therefore be cancelled.
They said, “we have facts to prove that there was over voting in places such as Isoko North, Burutu, Warri South, Warri South West, Warri North and Bomadi. You cannot have more votes than the whole of registered voters in an area not to talk or those who were accredited. Coercive force and brute force were widely employed in these areas to deter Nigerians from exercising their franchise. This is unacceptable and the results in the aforementioned places should therefore be canceled”
While calling on INEC to uphold the electoral law and sustain the integrity of the polls in Nigeria, the Coalition urged INEC to act accordingly as the international community is on ground and watching what’s going on with keen interest
“Let it be known that we are not the only people who witnessed the electoral malpractices that took place in the places mentioned above. International observers were also on ground and it’ll be a blow on the image of Nigeria as a country if these issues are not addressed within the ambit of the law”, the statement added.
The group equally called on Nigerians to remain calm and law abiding even in the face of violence and intimidations aimed at creating fear and panic so that evil and unpatriotic people can operate with impunity. Noting further that, “it is only when good men keep quiet that evil continues.”
