The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has finally opened up on why it announced the 2023 presidential election result at 2 a.m. on March 1, 2023.
Recall that on March 1, 2023, INEC pronounced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Bola Tinubu, winner of the poll with 8,794,726 votes. Thereby, defeating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi, and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso.
However, the announcement, which was made by INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday, March 1, generated controversy among the opposition parties.
The opposition, feeling the hurt of defeat, questioned the timing of the announcement of the result.
But eighteen months after the 2023 presidential election, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, has stated the reason.
Giving the reason, Oyekanmi explained that the country is treated as a single constituency during presidential elections.
He noted that as a result, the collation of results from across the nation is a time-consuming process.
The CPS noted that the electoral process required waiting for results from Polling Units, Wards, Local Governments, and States. All of which, he said, had to be presented at the national level in Abuja.
He said, “The Chairman had to wait for 36 returning officers. Including those from far locations such as Sokoto and Maiduguri, to present their results as mandated by law.”
On the timing of the announcement, Oyekanmi clarified that neither the Constitution nor the Electoral Act stipulates a specific time for announcing election results.
He said, “In a presidential election, the country is treated as one constituency. Results are declared at polling units and then collated at the ward, local government, and state levels. Before being presented in Abuja to the Chief Electoral Commissioner. People didn’t understand this and criticized the 2 a.m. announcement.”
Oyekanmi also pointed out that the INEC Chairman must personally interview the returning officers. Questioning them and potentially sending them back if their reports are unsatisfactory.
“Only after accepting all figures from the returning officers and the FCT, can results be collated and announced. The delay led to claims that we declared results in the middle of the night,” the CPS added.
Oyekanmi also made reference a similar to the 2015 presidential poll result announcement.
He noted: “Prof. Attahiru Jega declared the 2015 results around 4 a.m. The Constitution does not prescribe a specific time for declaring election results.”
Follow us for more news on our WhatsApp News Channels @
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaC505jB4hdZ5Yx9g82U
