The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman,
Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said that despite the extension of Saturday’s
elections till Sunday in some parts of the country, the results of the
presidential poll will be declared on Monday (today).
Jega, who gave journalists an update on the conduct of
the polls in Abuja, said that as of Sunday evening, results of the elections
had only been completely collated in two states, one of which was Ekiti.
He went further to say that, “Some people assume that
when I said 48 hours ( for the release of the results), it starts from the
morning the elections commenced. It is 48 hours after elections have ended,
like yesterday (Saturday).
“You start counting 48 hours from yesterday (Saturday) when
substantial majority of the polling units ended elections.”
The INEC chief expressed satisfaction over the conduct of
the polls, which he said; “We are pleased that the elections went
on smoothly in a substantial number of polling units across the country,
including the North-East where the commission was also able to conduct voting
for Internally Displaced Persons in the three states of Adamawa, Yobe and
Borno,” Jega said.
He said that out of more than 150,000 card
readers used for the conduct of the polls , only 300 failed,
representing about 0.25 per cent of the total number of machines.
“It is also gratifying to note that the card readers
worked well in the majority of polling units, even though there were areas
where difficulties experienced necessitated additional guidelines to allow for
manual accreditation of voters, as announced yesterday (Saturday),” Jega said.
He stated that manual accreditation was done in some polling
units in Osun, Kebbi, Ekiti, Adamawa, Borno, Jigawa, Anambra, Akwa
Ibom and Ebonyi states.”
He also rejected the claim by the spokesman for the PDP
Presidential Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, that his
party had won in certain number of states.
Jega said ,Fani-Kayode should be asked the source of his
figures, stated that as of the time he was addressing the journalists on Sunday
evening, collation had only been concluded in two states..
The chairman said, “You said somebody in one of the
parties said the PDP is winning in 23 states. I don’t know the sources of his
information. I know result have not been collated in 23 states.
“May be you should direct the questions to him and let
him explain.”
He advised journalists “to be careful about
reporting this kind of information that is being put out there by people who
are clearly partisan.”
He also debunked speculation that he was under pressure
to declare results of the presidential election inconclusive.
“We are not under any pressure to declare inconclusive
elections. In fact, I wonder who will be interested in declaring the election
inconclusive. I think candidates will be interested in being declared winners
and not to have the election declared inconclusive,” Jega said.
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