Labour: INEC and security agencies’ connivance stall upload of elections results

The Labour Party has alleged that some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have connived with security agencies to stall the upload of results to the commission’s central server.

The party’s gubernatorial candidate in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, earlier condemned the failure of INEC staff to transmit results through Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in some places in the state.

He, therefore, urged voters in the state to go with electoral officers to the collation centres and ensure upload of the results.

The National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, who reacted to the development in a recent statement also condemned the prevention of party agents from gaining access to collation centres.

The Chairman cited cases in Agege, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Surulere, and Ibeju Lekki areas of Lagos and urged security agencies to respect their oath of allegiance to the country.

The statement read: “It has come to the attention of the national leadership of the Labour Party on the electoral impunity going on in Lagos and Delta States after today’s presidential and National Assembly elections where the results of the presidential elections collated in various polling units in the states are not being uploaded to the Central Server.

“The party is alarmed that some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in connivance with the security agencies, including the police are claiming that the BVAS deployed in most polling units have suddenly developed fault and therefore cannot be used to upload results emanating from the polling units.

“We have noted with dismay that these incidences cut across most areas in Lagos State but significantly in places like Agege, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Surulere, and Ibeju Lekki, amongst others where results show that Labour Party won convincingly. We also attest that similar manipulation was also prominent in Delta State across most collation centers.

“The claims by INEC officials that the BVAS suddenly developed fault and could not be used to upload results of the presidential election could only be a tale from the moonlight. We have refused to buy the falsehood. We ask, is it not the same BVAS that was used to upload the results emanating from the Senate and House of Representatives election that is used for the presidential election? How did they all suddenly develop fault?

“The party is also worried that our agents and supporters were refused in some of the collation centres to participate in the electoral activities while agents of the other parties were giving access. Our agents were also told that instruction to suspend BVAS for the uploading of results was from INEC headquarters.

“One of our Local Government chairmen who dared to question the development was assaulted and arrested by the police. The Labour Party is also aware that some officials of the APC are in the Yaba office of INEC negotiating with the officials.

“We, therefore, call on the leadership of INEC to ensure that only genuine and verifiable results generated from the various polling units are uploaded and declared.

“We also call on the police to remain steadfast in ensuring that they respect their oath of allegiance to the nation and also by refusing to be used to deny Nigerians their choice of leaders.”