The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has alerted the nation that with the shoddy way the presidential and national assembly elections was handled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), there might be voters apathy during the March 11 governorship and House of Assembly polls.
It also warned that if something was not done immediately to ameliorate the problem caused so far with the electoral process, there might be outbreak of violence in the country.
The NHRC supported the ongoing call on INEC to comply with the rules guiding the conduct of the 2023 general election as contained in the amended Electoral Act, insisting that non-compliance would results in voter apathy, violence among other consequences in the coming governorship and states assembly elections.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr. Tony Ojukwu,made the remark during the briefing on the review of the NHRC 2023 elections and the human rights situation.
Ojukwu said that people might gradually lose faith in the system because of non-compliance with relevant laws and rules guiding the conduct of the election.
He said that it was not acceptable to transmit results manually when the law said it had to be transmitted electronically, adding that manual and electronic upload should go simultaneously.
He, however, urged Nigerians to have patience with the process as a new portal was now open where results were being uploaded.
According to Ojukwu, it was gladdening that following the outcry of the people, INEC had now found an alternative to the manual upload of results in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Meanwhile, he advised Nigerians to cry out if they found any discrepancy between the original sheet and the uploaded one, adding that the law clearly expected results to be transmitted, therefore, INEC should comply to restore the confidence of the people and to reduce apathy.
In his remark, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Coordinator of the Transition Monitoring Group, Auwal Rafsanjani, condemned INEC for its silence for days while the people complained about manual upload of results.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), and president-elect, Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, asked the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party not to resort to violence but approach the court to seek redress over their claims that Saturday’s presidential election was marred by rigging.
The opposition parties had during the collation of results called for the cancellation of the election and also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, to step down from his position over claims that the election was rigged in favour of the ruling party. But reacting to the claims in a statement on Wednesday, the President asked the opposition party to approach the court and prove their case.
“If any candidate believes they can prove the fraud they claim is committed against them, then bring forward the evidence. If they cannot, then we must conclude that the election was indeed the people’s will – no matter how hard that may be for the losers to accept. If they feel the need to challenge, please take it to the courts, not to the streets. “However, to do the latter means they are not doing it in the interest of the people, but rather to inflame, to put people in harm’s way and all for personal, selfish gains.
“After a degree of polarization that necessarily accompanies any election, it is now time to come together and act responsibly. I call on all candidates to remember the peace pledge they signed just days before the election. Do not undermine the credibility of INEC. Let us now move forward as one. The people have spoken,” Buhari said in a statement signed by his spokesman, Garba Shehu.
Additional details from Punch
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