BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has bared its fangs over the ongoing collation of last Saturday’s presidential election results, describing it as falsified and manipulated.
This was even as he demanded the cancellation of elections in areas marred by violence, snatching of sensitive materials and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) malfunctioning.
In a statement personally signed by the ex-president on Monday, he noted that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials have been compromised to revert to manual transmission of results.
Obasanjo, who is one of the staunch supporters of Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, alleged that most of the results collated outside BVAS and server did not reflect the will of Nigerians.
Labour party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition party agents had during the announcement of results on Monday, walked out of the National Collation Centre in Abuja, citing the inability of INEC to post results on its web portal, iREV.
They suggested that manual transmission of results was another opportunity to demoralise voters by displaying doctored results.
While thanking President Muhammadu Buhari for his resolve to conduct free, fair, transparent and credible elections, Obasanjo appealed to the Chairman of INEC, Prof Yakubu Mahmood to save Nigeria from the looming danger and disaster which is about to happen if his hands are clean.
A total of 18 candidates participated in the presidential election, just as the candidates of the LP, APC, PDP and NNPP were the four major contenders.
But the APC hit back at Obasanjo, accusing him of hypocrisy and mischief, saying that the former President's statement amounts to a coup against democracy and the constitution.
The spokesperson of All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign council, Dele Alake, in a statement on Monday, wondered why Obasanjo would seek to endanger and derail the democratic process for utterly selfish, egoistic and malicious reasons.
He said: "Our attention has been drawn to a press statement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in which he was virtually calling for a truncation of the ongoing electoral process and a cancellation of already conducted elections on the basis of frivolous, unfounded and baseless allegations by politicians who are sore losers and have no respect for democratic values.
“Obasanjo repeated without the slightest iota of evidence rumours he had picked up that the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System had been compromised and that the results of elections being announced are fraudulent.
“It is tragic that a former President who ought to be a statesman in comportment and speech will recklessly seek to endanger and derail our democratic process for utterly selfish, egoistic and malicious reasons. He offers not a single credible piece of evidence to prove his laughable and ridiculous allegations against INEC and the credibility of the ongoing process.
"Of course, we are all aware that Obasanjo is not an impartial and disinterested party as far as this election is concerned. On January 1, 2023, he had issued a characteristically lengthy epistle to Nigerians endorsing the candidacy of Mr Peter Obi and asking Nigerian youths to vote en masse for him.
“Of course our reaction was that the former President was entitled to his view and that the outcome of the elections would demonstrate if he had any electoral value. As fate would have it, Peter Obi was defeated even in Obasanjo’s own polling unit in Abeokuta in Ogun State. But it is now obvious that the only election Obasanjo will agree to being free, fair and credible is one that produces Obi as winner which is ridiculous.
“Is Obasanjo also querying the outcome of the presidential elections in Lagos or Delta where Obi won? If the outcome in Lagos won by Obi is free and credible, on what basis is he querying the outcome of the elections in other places?"
He lamented that Obasanjo wants President Muhammadu Buhari to truncate the ongoing political process as he did in the 2003 and 2007 elections, widely described as the worst in the country's political history.
“Luckily, President Buhari is made of finer and more principled democratic stuff. He will not allow Obasanjo to lure him into tainting his democratic credentials in this regard," he added.
Below is Obasanjo’s full statement below.
READ THE STATEMENT IN FULL
PRESS RELEASE
2023 NIGERIA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
– AN APPEAL FOR CAUTION AND RECTIFICATION
Nigerian Brothers and Sisters, greetings to you all.
I am constrained to speak at this point.
I crave the indulgence of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency General Muhammadu Buhari, to make this statement because I have had opportunity to keep him aware of what I know is happening and the danger looming ahead.
On many occasions in the past, I have not hesitated to point out lacuna in the action of the President and his government. But as far as the election issues are concerned, the President has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he will want to leave a legacy of free, fair, transparent and credible elections.
Until last Saturday night, February 25, 2023, the good and noble plan and preparation for the elections seemed to be going well. For the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a lot of money was spent to introduce Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and the Server for immediate transmission of results from polling units. It is no secret that INEC officials, at operational level, have been allegedly compromised to make what should have worked not to work and to revert to manual transmission of results which is manipulated and the results doctored.
The Chairman of INEC may claim ignorance but he cannot fold his hands and do nothing when he knows that election process has been corrupted and most of the results that are brought outside BVAS and Server are not true reflection of the will of Nigerians who have made their individual choice. At this stage, we do not need wittingly or unwittingly to set this country on fire with the greed, irresponsibility and unpatriotic act of those who allegedly gave money to INEC officials for perversion and those who collected the blood money. Let me appeal to the Chairman of INEC, if his hands are clean, to save Nigeria from the looming danger and disaster which is just waiting to happen. If the Chairman can postpone elections four days to the election, he can do everything to rectify the errors of the last two days – no BVAS, no result to be acceptable; and no uploading through Server, no result to be acceptable.
Whereas, BVAS and Servers have been manipulated or rendered inactive, such results must be declared void and inadmissible for election declaration. Chairman INEC, I have thought that you would use this wonderful opportunity to mend your reputation and character for posterity.
Your Excellency, President Buhari Muhammadu, tension is building up and please let all elections that do not pass the credibility and transparency test be cancelled and be brought back with areas where elections were disrupted for next Saturday, March 4, 2023, and BVAS and Server officials be changed. To know which stations or polling units were manipulated, let a Committee of INEC staff and representatives of the four major political parties with the Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association look into what must be done to have hitch-free elections next Saturday. Mr. President, may your plan and hope for leaving a legacy of free, fair, transparent and credible election be realised. Mr. President, please don’t let anybody say to you that it does not matter or it is the problem of INEC. On no account should you be seen as part of the collusion or compromise. When the die is cast, it will be your problem as the Chief Executive of the nation. The Chairman of INEC may sneak out of the country or go back to his ivory tower. Your Excellency, thank you for hearing me out.
Compatriot Nigerians, please exercise patience until the wrong is righted. I strongly believe that nobody will toy with the future and fortune of Nigeria at this juncture.
Long live Nigeria in peace, security, stability and in the hope for greater future.
OLUSEGUN OBASANJO
February 27, 2023
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