By Kamil Opeyemi
The opposition Labour Party has said that the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to upload results of the presidential election on its portal as required is suspect.
The party, in its statement, on Sunday, quoted its National Chairman, Julius Abure, as reacting to the development condemning alleged prevention of party agents from gaining access to collation centres.
Abure cited cases in Agege, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Surulere, and Ibeju Lekki areas of Lagos and charged security agencies to respect their oath of allegiance to the country.
The statement read: “It has come to the attention of the national leadership of the Labour Party on the electoral impunity going on in Lagos and Delta States after today’s presidential and National Assembly elections where the results of the presidential elections collated in various polling units in the states are not being uploaded to the Central Server.
“We have noted with dismay that these incidences cut across most areas in Lagos State but significantly in places like Agege, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Surulere, and Ibeju Lekki, amongst others where results show that Labour Party won convincingly. We also attest that similar manipulation was also prominent in Delta State across most collation centers.
“The claims by INEC officials that the BVAS suddenly developed fault and could not be used to upload results of the presidential election could only be a tale from the moonlight. We have refused to buy the falsehood. We ask, is it not the same BVAS that was used to upload the results emanating from the Senate and House of Representatives election that is used for the presidential election? How did they all suddenly developed fault?
“The party is also worried that our agents and supporters were refused in some of the collation centres to participate in the electoral activities while agents of the other parties were giving access. Our agents were also told that instruction to suspend BVAS for the uploading of results was from INEC headquarters.
“One of our Local Government chairmen who dared to question the development was assaulted and arrested by the police. The Labour Party is also aware that some officials of the APC are in the Yaba office of INEC negotiating with the officials.
“We, therefore, call on the leadership of INEC to ensure that only genuine and verifiable results generated from the various polling units are uploaded and declared.
“We also call on the police to remain steadfast in ensuring that they respect their oath of allegiance to the nation and also by refusing to be used to deny Nigerians their choice of leaders.”