Agents of various political parties at the National Collation Centre in Abuja where the presidential election results were being announced, Monday, kicked against the method of vote collation from the various polling units, insisting that only results uploaded in the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV) should be announced.
The parties’ agents who specifically kicked against the Ekiti state’s results which was announced on Sunday night, noted that any figure not uploaded in the INEC server as severally promised by INEC would be deemed to be unauthentic.
Senator Dino Melaye who raised the motion got overwhelmingly supported by the agents of other parties such as the Labour Party, Action Alliance, People’s Redemption Party (PRP), among others.
“We are in this country and INEC made a press statement that upload were not done. You even said there was no acting of your server and all that and everyone sitting here is either a Christian or Moslem and you there was a problem uploading your results. Till this minute I’m speaking many results have not been uploaded in your server.
“So you cannot be using the justification that votes took place at the polling units when INEC failed in uploading results from polling units. If you have uploaded those results immediately after votes were cast in each polling unit, we would have assessed them and we won’t be asking questions here.
“But as I speak to you, those results were not uploaded for hours. Yesterday, I complained to you the INEC chairman, I complained to two other commissioners in my presence, they called the REC in Imo where even the director of ICT was saying that they should use hotline to upload.
“So if results were not uploaded, we as a party cannot be convinced that the process is over. The problem is not over because, it is faulty, results were not uploaded, I can assure you that we will contest the authenticity of whatever is going on here.
“Finally sir, I want to challenge any returning officer coming here because there is penalty for you if you lie or alter anything. Tell us before your presentation that what you are presenting before camera is what is uploaded on INEC website. Please say that and see if you lie you won’t go to jail.
However, the agents of the APC and the National Rescue Movement (NRM) held a different view, calling on the parties to sheathe their swords and challenge the matter in court after the announcement.
Nonetheless, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released Saturday presidential election results of Osun and Ondo states.
According to the Osun State Collation Officer Prof Folasade Olusola of the University of Lagos, the PDP won the state by scoring a 354,366 votes while the APC scored a total of 343945 votes.
The LP came third with 23,283 votes in Osun state.
In Ondo state, Prof Fasola Abayomi the state Collation Officer announced that APC scored 369,924 votes to emerge the winner while PDP became the runners up with 115463 votes.
Kwara state results announced by the State Collation Officer Prof Joseph Sawuan showed that the APC won by scoring 263572 votes while the PDP scored 136,909 votes while the Labour Party candidate polled 31166 votes.
