The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to reject any results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
If the electoral commission, security agencies, and the federal government fail to stop all the irregularities that appear to be undermining the will of the people .
The NLC expressed its concern over electoral irregularities in a press release released on Sunday, claiming that they could halt the nation’s progress toward a democratic future.
The workers’ union led by Joe Ajaero was forced to issue this warning after concerns about voter intimidation by thugs from some political parties in Lagos and Rivers States attracted so much local and international attention. The union demanded that the electoral commission and the security agencies take all necessary precautions.
The statement read, “Unfortunately, rather than getting better, the situation got worse as the day went on.” “Heartbreaking reports from all over the country of vile activities of people connected to some parties and utter collusion of INEC officials and security agencies to undermine the election and the will of the people.”
It is against the spirit and practice of democracy to use thugs to threaten and intimidate voters in Lagos and Rivers state.
The union cited despicable acts of Mc Oluomo, the chairman of the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Management, which were caught on camera and which it condemned. In these acts, he was heard on video telling Igbos and other Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters not to come to their polling places to cast ballots. The group mentioned additional acts.
The union also expressed concern about INEC’s deliberate attempt to deny many Nigerians their right to vote by refusing to upload election results to the BVAS system. “The failure of INEC to stop the ills of previous elections from occurring in this election speaks volumes of its lack of preparation for this election, as can be demonstrated in the late arrival of essential voting materials at polling places and the almost intentional tampering with the BVAS in many polling places, including the outright refusal of its operatives to upload results from the BVAS to the INEC servers in flagrant violation of the election’s rules and the INEC’s own election guidelines.
They accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of planning to collude with representatives of one political party in an effort to reach a compromise and prevent the BVAS from operating. The polling unit officers’ reluctance to send the BVAS reports for the presidential elections to the official INEC servers may be explained, the statement said, if the allegation is accurate.
However, the NLC demanded that INEC look into the actions of one of its ICT department officials who may have been technically responsible for jamming the airwaves and impeding the transmission of BVAS results to the servers. “His name is Femi Odubuyi, and he was the former commissioner in Lagos State,” it claimed.
In order to deliver fair, credible, and acceptable election results, it was advised that INEC stop its nationwide collusion and subversion.
We issue a warning to INEC and others not to let this election turn into a national emergency. This is avoidable, and the only way we can ensure national peace is by letting the sovereign will prevail.
