The February 25th Elections in Nigeria is now under huge pressure and a lot questions asked. The INEC and the authorities will have a hard time explaining it all. Many are already speculating on manipulations, rigging or cooking the polls in favour of the incumbent party. That meaning Tinubu and APC getting another term by default. This is happening because of the power, influence and arrangements made within the APC itself. Therefore, the nerves and tensions are rising.
Right now the leaders, the representatives and everyone is fiddling while Rome is possibly burning. INEC are proving their inept, lack of due diligence and concern with transparent process of proceedings. That’s why even two separate EOMs are seeing the danger and the acts happening. It is so blatant and in your face. They are not even concealing it. It is sort of like the Tipp-Ex experience of Malawi the other year. All over again, but in Nigeria and with other parties having the power.
Just read these two parts of the preliminary statements from two EOMs!
“On elections night, EU EOM observers witnessed chaotic, disorganised, and tense conditions at generally overcrowded collation centres. In many instances collation officers were not on the site as polling staff arrived, many with incomplete forms, non-transmitted data, and sensitive material not properly packed. Many collations centres at ward level were not opened at all, particularly in the South-South and South#East where presiding officers were sent directly to the LGA collation centres. The EU EOM is continuing its observation, while noting improvements in the organisation of the collation. While the collation was ongoing, the presidential result forms from polling units were not on the IReV portal, though Senate and House of Representative results were slowly published. Presidential election result forms only started to be uploaded after 10 pm on election day raising concerns, with the total number of forms reaching only 20 per cent by noon 26 February and several were illegible. Only later the same evening, INEC explained the delay with “technical hitches.”” (European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria – First Preliminary Statement, 27.02.2023).
“Collation Process. Immediately after polls closed, INEC’s IReV system was not publicly accessible, and the absence of communication from INEC on potential technical challenges fueled speculation and rising concerns about the transparency of the results collation process. Presidential results forms slowly began to arrive at approximately 10 pm the evening of the elections, with inconsistency regarding whether polling units had all, or only some, of all three forms uploaded (House, Senate, and President). However many forms were highly pixelated and difficult to read. At the time of publication of this statement, approximately 30 percent of presidential results forms available on the portal. In a break from previous national elections, INEC announced it would determine turnout for the 2023 elections based on accredited voters over PVCs collected per the specific polling unit (as opposed to number of registered voters). INEC’s method for calculation does not provide a genuine representation of turnout – essentially treating registered voters without a PVC as an unregistered citizen – and also runs the risk of flawed data, as stakeholders have expressed concern with the ability of INEC to provide accurate disaggregated PVC collection figures. PVC collection data by polling unit was posted online late on election day, despite repeated promises to publish the data before the election, and observers noted that this figure was largely unavailable at polling units, making calculations based on these figures difficult to verify” (PRELIMINARY STATEMENT OF THE JOINT NDI/IRI INTERNATIONAL
OBSERVER MISSION TO NIGERIA’S 2023 PRESIDENTIALAND
LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS, 27.02.2023).
When reading it and seeing it. The systemic and the planned effort is so obvious to the naked eye. They wouldn’t do all this, if there wasn’t a purpose. It is an initiative and a planned exercise to ensure an objective. That objective isn’t to elect and proclaim the most popular candidate, but the selected one. This is done by all means and with usage of both discreet and disingenuous manipulations. That is why the INEC has “technical glitches” and forms are impossible to read. It is done so the “stakeholders” can easily alter to advantage their “victor”.
This here isn’t even that deep, but just showing what is happening. The Preliminary Statements just shows it. The EU EOM and Joint NDI/IRI EOM is saying the same thing. At that point, you know it isn’t just noise, but an clear observation. A sign that you shouldn’t overlook. Peace.
MinBane 