Politics

CSO Alleges Plot To Compromise Election Results

Published

3 years ago

February 27, 2023

Editor

A human rights organization under the aegis of Connected Development on Sunday alleged that there were plans by those it described electoral criminals to rig the general election by compromising the results.

The Chief Executive Officer of CODE, Hamzat Lawal, who raised the alarm, said he got the information from the organisation’s 20,000 community-driven observers on the ground.

Lawal alleged that the rigging technique involved slow uploading of results on the INEC result portal, relocation of state collation centres without adequate information to stakeholders, outright denial of accredited observers access to new locations as well as issues of elections not holding in some local government areas but results being collated amongst others.

According to him, the criminal acts threaten the credibility of this election, and would make it possible for many people to accept the results to be announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

He said, “Connected Development and its partners are at this moment calling the Independent National Electoral Commission to indeed be independent and serve the people the constitution has mandated it to serve.

“With 20,000 community-driven observers on the ground, CODE and its partners, using our Electoral Intelligence tool, Uzabe have noticed a worrisome trend across the nation that points to the gaps and unpreparedness within the structure of the electoral process which is threatening the credibility of this election.

“We have several reports indicating that States like Ekiti, Cross River, Imo, and Rivers State have had their Local Government Area (LGA) collation centers relocated without adequate information to stakeholders.

“In Ekiti especially, we have it on good authority that all LGA collation centres were relocated, and in most cases, accredited observers were outrightly denied access and new locations were shrouded in secrecy.

“We have seen issues of elections not holding in some local government areas and results are being collated.

“This happened in Oru East, Imo State, where our observers confirmed that no election was held and in fact, some voters were asked to vote in a private residential building of a party chieftain, which is clearly against INEC guidelines and the electoral act. Yet we have results from that LGA. This is an indictment on INEC and all that our constitution stands for.

“There is still a growing number of reports that several polling units opened polls very late and ended the process of voting while voters were still in the queue, citing nightfall as the reason, thereby disenfranchising thousands of voters across various polling units.

“The INEC 2023 election guidelines state that voting till the last person on the queue votes but this was clearly not adhered to.

“We also noted that in many polling stations, BVAS were reported to be malfunctioning and observers even recorded a shortage of necessary materials.

“We are very concerned about the slow upload of results on the INEC result portal. At this point, the result portal has only 40,000 polling units results.

“This is more disturbing as we are aware that INEC created over 50,000 new polling units with less than 100 registered voters in each of them, and elections was since concluded in all these polling units at 2:30pm yesterday and one would expect that by midnight of yesterday, all this polling units results should have been uploaded.

“This expectation is coming from the experience we observed in the Ekiti and Osun Gubernatorial elections, where we witnessed over 95 percent of the results uploaded before midnight on election day.

“Nigerians deserve efficiency, they deserve fairness, with people denying themselves sleep and keeping wake under the rain, Nigerians deserve better from public institutions.

“Therefore we are calling on INEC to address these issues immediately. We are also calling on the Nigerian police as the lead agency on election security to monitor.

“Joint security forces deployed for this election have done well and are already stretched.

“Lack of adequate information, access to independent observers and strict adherence to the electoral act of 2022 and the INEC’s guidelines will cause apprehension, a trust deficit that might lead to civil unrest and rejection of the overall outcome, and should be addressed immediately by the INEC chairman.”

Politics

Peter Obi Meets US Consul General, Hopes For Credible Polls In 2027

Published

8 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

Chieftain of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi on Tuesday held a meeting with United States Consul General, Mr Rick Swart.

Obi made this known via his X handle.

He said “This morning, in Lagos, I met with the U.S. Consul General, Mr Rick Swart, where we discussed strengthening the bilateral relationship. We focused on promoting credible elections in Nigeria, ensuring they are free from interference, and fostering a space where all political parties, especially opposition parties can thrive, and contribute.

“We also discussed trade and business opportunities between our countries. Accompanying me to the meeting was Dr Adefolaseye Adebomi Adebayo.

“The discussion was very productive, and we are hopeful that, moving forward, Nigeria’s elections will be even more credible and transparent.”

Politics

BREAKING: 17 ADC Reps Follow Join NDC

Published

14 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

About 17 African Democratic Congress, ADC, lawmakers in the House of Representatives have defected to the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC.

This was disclosed by Speaker Abass Tajudeen on the floor of the House on Tuesday.

Tajudeen also announced the defection of Leke Abejide from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Lawmakers who defected to the NDC include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.

Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene and Abdulhakeem Ado.

This comes barely a day after former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso defected from the ADC to the NDC.

Obi and Kwankwaso have pledged to continue their pursuit for a better Nigeria in the NDC.

Politics

JUST IN: Why I left ADC For NDC With Kwankwaso – Peter Obi Opens Up

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

A former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has given reasons why he resigned from the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to join the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, alongside a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

In a long post on X on Monday, Obi insisted it was not out of anger or ambition.

Rather, he said the move is a continuation of the quest to build a new Nigeria.

Obi wrote: “Yesterday, I formally joined the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), alongside my dear brother, Engr. Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, with one clear purpose: to continue the struggle for a new Nigeria built on justice, competence, accountability, and compassion for the ordinary Nigerian.

“As I stated yesterday, this decision was not made out of anger, personal ambition, or convenience. It came after deep reflection on the present condition of our nation and the urgent need to rescue Nigeria from the dangerous path it is currently heading.

“Over the years, I have remained steadfast in my conviction that politics should never be about individuals, positions, or personal gain. It must be about the people, especially the millions of Nigerians who today can no longer afford necessities, whose businesses are collapsing, whose children are losing hope, and whose future is becoming increasingly uncertain.

“I left the ADC for the same reason I left the Labour Party: the severe, orchestrated litigation and internal crises deliberately designed to ensure that I, alongside many other notable individuals, do not effectively participate in the electoral process. I sincerely appreciate and remain deeply grateful to the Leadership of ADC for the opportunity to work together in pursuit of a better Nigeria. I am particularly grateful to ADC Chairman Senator David Mark for his exceptional Leadership. I also deeply appreciate my Leader and elder brother YE, Atiku Abubakar, as well as other respected leaders within the party.

“As we join the NDC, I sincerely appeal to the Nigerian Government against the encouragement of unresolved litigations and the infusion of crises within political parties. Democracy must never become a weapon against the people. A healthy democracy thrives on strong institutions, credible alternatives, and the freedom of citizens to make choices without intimidation, manipulation, or fear. Opposition parties must not be weakened or destroyed, because when democracy loses balance, the people ultimately suffer.

“Nigeria today is passing through one of the most difficult periods in its history. Poverty is rising. Hunger is widespread. Insecurity continues to threaten lives and livelihoods. Businesses are shutting down daily. Our young people are becoming discouraged, and many citizens have lost faith in the system. At a time like this, leadership must be driven not by propaganda or division, but by competence, capacity, character, and compassion.

“Our decision to join the NDC is therefore not an abandonment of values, but a continuation of the same mission we have always stood for: building a Nigeria where leadership is about service, where public resources are managed responsibly, where institutions function independently, and where every Nigerian, regardless of tribe, religion, region, or social status, can live with dignity, security, and hope.

“I remain committed to working with all Nigerians of goodwill across political, ethnic, and religious lines. The task before us is bigger than any individual or political party. It is about the future of our children and the survival of our dear nation.

“I thank Nigerians, especially our youths and women, for remaining peaceful, resilient, and hopeful despite the enormous challenges confronting the country. I urge you not to lose faith in Nigeria. Nations do not change because people surrender to hopelessness; they change because people continue to believe, continue to sacrifice, and continue to stand for what is right.”