A chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo has explained that the clash between the Police and military at Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Taraba State on 20th March, 2023 led to the delayed in results’ collation of the Governorship election in the state.
Oguntoyinbo who is the Ogun state gubernatorial candidate of the NNPP in 2023 election said during the collation period, the NNPP sent a written complaint on Wukari Result claiming over voting and results in variance with the results in iRev and accredited voters on BVAS and called for review.
He said that during the collation, the complaint was discussed based on the Electoral Act 2022 64(5) for possible review at collation level because the results were alleged to have been doctored.
He said after lengthy deliberation, the INEC Legal Officer explained that the review will only be done in Abuja after Application for Review.
He said however that the review was jettisoned in Abuja as the INEC declared Kefas Agbu of PDP as winner without reviewing the result as been applied for by the NNPP.
He said based on what transpired at the election, the Supreme Court should declare the party’s governorship candidate in Taraba state, Professor Yahaya Muhammed Bello as the winner of March 18, 2023 election.
In an open letter of appeal to the Supreme Court which he issued on Wednesday, Oguntoyinbo said the Supreme Court should in the spirit of decency, decorum, discipline and sanity declare Professor Yahaya Muhammed Bello of New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP) as the winner of the last Governorship Election.
“That the collation resumed around 5:00 pm on the same day with a lot of tension; during the collation, we received written complaint from NNPP on Wukari Result claiming over voting and in variance with the results in iRev and accredited voters on BVAS; that during the collation, the complaint was discussed based on the Electoral Act 2022 64(5) for possible review at collation level. That the results were alleged to be doctored. The Electoral Act 2022 64(6) was difficult to be implemented under duress and tension.
“After lengthy deliberation, the INEC Legal Officer explained to us that the review will only be done in Abuja after Application for Review .
“It is based on the above observations, I write to request for the Review of Taraba State Governorship election result. This is as a result of the conviction that good leaders can only emerge through credible and transparent election and the oath taken to be neutral.
“Election must be done in a decent, peaceful and transparent manner that must be acceptable by all, not through the Gun shooting, undue duress and tension as alleged by the Collation and Returning Officer of INEC in the Taraba State.
“It is worthy of note that electorate have the right to choose their leaders through a transparent electoral process without being under duress and tension as well as getting their results doctored in favour of another interest group or party.
” The Leadership of New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP) is appealing to the Apex Court to restore the hope of Nigerians in the electoral system and electoral process by giving critical look into the complaints of the good people of Taraba state who lawfully and genuinely voted for Yahaya Muhammed Bello of the NNPP as Governor during the March 18, 2023 Governorship Election in the State. This will to a large extent normalize our Electoral System and process and sanitize it reasonably for future elections.
“While we have highest regard and hope in the Judiciary, most especially the Apex Court, we want to use this occasion to call on National Judicial Council (NJC) to look into the activities of some Judicial officers in Nigeria whose activities raised serious questions which is inimical to the integrity of not just the judiciary but our national and international reputations”.
ENDS