Reject election outcome
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Catholic Bishops under the umbrella of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) have expressed gross disappointment in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the conduct of last weekend’s presidential and national assembly elections.
Archbishop of Owerri and President of CBCN, Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, in a statement, on Tuesday, accused INEC of failing Nigerians despite repeated assurance and commitment to conduct free, fair and credible elections.
The statement reads: “For a very long time now, we have prayed for peaceful, transparent and credible elections as well as an accurate transmission of the results. Before last weekend’s election, Nigerians were assured both by the Federal Government and INEC that enough electoral reforms and preparation had been made, to ensure that the sovereign will of the people would be accurately reflected in the conduct of the elections, hence, people trooped out in their numbers to cast votes in order to freely choose their next President and representatives at the Senate and Federal House of Assembly.
“Unfortunately, the experiences of many voters on the election day were a far-cry from the hitch-free exercise that was repeatedly promised. In many places, the human element is alleged to have compromised the gains that were expected from the innovations of the new electoral Act.
“In addition, the delay in the electronic transmission of the results of the polling units to the INEC results viewing portal before their announcement at the collation centres raised suspicion in many minds about the transparency of the entire process. There is, therefore, palpable tension in the air and agitations not just by some political parties but by a cross-section of the Nigerian population.
“We, therefore, urge INEC to promptly take adequate steps to address the issues of concern in order to diffuse the tension and in the interest of the common good. No matter how long it takes, INEC has to ensure that it does the right thing now to ensure that the sanctity of the collective will of the electorate is not violated, so as to restore the confidence of the citizenry in our government and its institutions. As the saying goes, it is no use running when one is on the wrong road.”
The Catholic Bishops, thus, appealed to all Nigerians to remain calm, law-abiding and fervent in prayers. “In particular, we urge the leaders of political parties to exercise restraint, while we all give INEC the time to prove that it is still worthy of our trust.
“At this time, Nigeria is standing at the edge of a dangerous precipice, INEC must live above board to avoid plunging the nation into an avoidable crisis.”