EU observers criticise failures in Nigerian poll
.Former President Obasanjo warns against manual transmission of results
A European Union observer mission has faulted the lack of transparency and operational failures in the Nigerian election, according to its preliminary findings.
It said there was confidence in the independence and professionalism of the electoral body during preparations for the elections.
But public trust waned over lack of efficient planning and effective communication in the process – including on the election day, the observers said.
Nigerians cast their votes in a presidential and parliamentary general election on Saturday.
The observers noted that some poll centres opened late and polling procedures were not always followed.
They said the uploading of the results using an electronic system did not work, raising concerns as transmission of presidential election results forms was delayed.
The observer team has urged stakeholders in the election to uphold peace until the process is completed and called for any disputes arising to be addressed through legal channels.
Meanwhile
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged the country’s electoral body to save the country from “a looming danger” over what he described as corruption of the electoral process.
In a statement, he said tension was building up and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to “let all elections that do not pass the credibility and transparency test be cancelled”.
He said the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (Inec) decision to revert to manual transmission of results was deliberate despite investing on an electronic system that would allow immediate transmission of results from polling units.
“It is no secret that Inec officials, at the operational level, have been allegedly compromised to make what should have worked not to work and to revert to the manual transmission of results which is manipulated and the results doctored,” he said.
The retired president also appealed to citizens to be patient and expressed confidence in the “system working right”.
“I strongly believe that nobody will toy with the future and fortune of Nigeria at this juncture,” he said.
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