Let Nigerians’ Votes Count, CAN Tells INEC

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do all within its scope of authority to ensure that the votes of Nigerians as expressed through the ballots during last Saturday’s presidential and federal legislative elections count.

The president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh said in a statement on Tuesday, that the national leadership of CAN has noted with deep concern the recent developments in Nigeria following the February 25, Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Okoh who described the elections as vital for Nigeria’s stability and democratic consolidation, said that the process must be conducted and concluded safely, fairly, and credibly.

“For this reason, we urge political parties, candidates, supporters, and the public to desist from any action that could create needless tensions or stoke any form of violence that could put the country on a precipice.

“CAN specifically ask all presidential candidates to abide by the spirit and letter of the Peace Accord they signed before the elections. We remind them that this is the only country we have, and we must do everything to keep it safe, united, and peaceful.

“In the same breath, we encourage all political actors, elder statesmen, eminent personalities in our society as well as religious and traditional leaders to make proactive interventions to calm any tensions and nip signs of violence in the bud,” he said.

According to the CAN president, ideally, when people vote, the votes should be counted and allowed to reflect in the result the electoral umpire will announce. Anything short of that remains an aberration in any democratic context and contest.

“Despite the many assurances given by INEC about its level of preparedness for the polls, it was observed in many quarters that last Saturday’s elections fell below the reasonable expectations of the people.

“Late arrival of election materials in parts of the country, malfunction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines, failure of the planned electronic transmission of results to the virtual results viewing portal amid other structural challenges in the electoral process have not only cast a shadow of doubt on INEC’s sincerity to deliver a transparent and fair general election this year, but also threaten the credibility of the entire system.

“It is, therefore, important that explanation be given to Nigerians as to why the preventable lapses were not addressed promptly. INEC must rise to the occasion in the face of this precarious situation and do everything possible to win back the slipping confidence of the people in the electoral system, especially as the country prepares for the governorship and state legislative polls in 11 days,” he stated.

He said that all Nigerians must note that the whole of the international community is watching the behaviour of the federal government and its agencies, especially the police, the army, and the other law-enforcement agents, to see how far they respect the country’s constitution, the rule of law and the obligation to act well in playing their roles in respect of elections.

“CAN commend the electorates for the huge voter turnout, which is even more than the population of several countries. However, the implication is that, once anything goes wrong in our country, it will have a ripple effect across West Africa and beyond.

“As it is said, when Nigeria sneezes, the rest of the African continent catches a cold. This implies that all stakeholders must ensure that these elections are free and fair so that no room is created for people to agitate unnecessarily or for violence to erupt. Against this backdrop, CAN calls for calm and restraint on all sides,” Okoh said.