Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Dissatisfied with the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to transmit the results of last Saturday’s presidential and national assembly elections from the polling units, protesters have stormed INEC office in Umuahia, Abia State to register their grievances.
The protesters under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society, South East chapter, accused INEC of colluding with anti-democratic elements to subvert the will of voters at the polls.
They rejected the outcome of the polls, alleging that the original results which INEC staff failed to upload from the various polling units were later doctored at the collation centres.
Leader of the Coalition, Irobikansi Abraham Chijioke, expressed disappointment that INEC had dashed the hope of the Nigeria youths who thronged out to vote for for a better future.
The group carried placards with various inscriptions such as: “This is electoral fraud,” “We can’t continue like this,” “Nigeria youths are disappointed,” “INEC chairman is a disappointment” and “Tax payers’ money waste,” “INEC is here to thwart the result of the will of the masses,” They have not done well,” “INEC should sit up and ensure that they give us the will of the people so that there will not be break down of the law.”
Speaking also, the Secretary of the group, Okonkwo Boniface Chidi said their protest was to register their displeasure in areas the election did not hold, noting that there were no uploads of many results through the BVAS.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take actions to correct the anomaly while calling for the investigation of the INEC boss.
“The INEC Chairman should be held responsible for this abnormality.”
“We are peaceful but not happy with the result of the elections,” he said.
According to the Treasurer of the group, Nwankwo Chukwuemeka Christopher, the Coalition of Civil Society is non-partisan, “but to look at issues as they concern the elections.
He said that “the President should make the masses to believe in the commission and the BVAS.”
“The will of the people should not be thwarted,” he warned.
He called on President Buhari to take urgent steps to remedy the situation to restore public confidence in the electoral process.
