Political parties have expressed criticism regarding the 2023 general election report recently issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This has emerged amidst various concerns raised by party representatives regarding the transparency, accuracy, and overall conduct of the electoral process.
According to Yunusa Tanko, the chief spokesperson of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, INEC’s release of the report is seen as an attempt to cover its “illegality,” describing it as “medicine after death.”
Tanko further elaborated, stating, “This is medicine after death. INEC should have clarified these issues during the election. However, it appears that INEC is trying to conceal its tracks after the judiciary had one way or the other legalised their illegality.
“Let me explain better. If INEC says that this is what they are going to do and later on goes to the court to say that they have the right to do manual collation, then the court justifies that particular action, which is unacceptable. It is a conspiracy.”
READ MORE: Protest May Lead to Anarchy- TUC Backs Out of NLC Nationwide Protest
Similarly, Yabagi Sani, the presidential candidate and former chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, emphasized the need for INEC to hold accountable those responsible for the glitches encountered during the elections.
“Whoever was responsible for the glitches should be dealt with in a manner that should serve as a deterrent for the future because accountability is key.
“INEC should be commended for coming out clean. They should be given a pass mark. We will keep improving our electoral process. We can now point out exactly what happened,” Sani noted.
While some parties, such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have indicated their intention to review the report before formulating a formal response, others, like the All Progressives Congress (APC), have commended INEC for its transparency in acknowledging and addressing electoral challenges.
According to Bala Ibrahim, the Publicity Director of APC, “Nigerians should salute INEC for being honest and sincere by admitting errors or failures on its side. Whatever we do, we should admit that we are humans and that we are not infallible.
“Everything that is technologically based or IT-based is liable to some failures. Even in established democracies where they have perfect infrastructures on IT, they still have glitches, he said.
Despite varying opinions among political parties, the overarching sentiment remains one of concern and scrutiny regarding the conduct and outcomes of the 2023 general elections.
