Although Nigeria’s presidential election was extended to Sunday in some parts of the country, INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, assured the public that the results of the presidential poll will be declared today (Monday, March 30). More on the click.
During an update with the members of the media in Abuja on Sunday evening, Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission boss, Prof. Attahiru Jega, assured the public that the results of the Nigerian election will be called today, March 30th. He also noted that as of Sunday night, election results had only been completely collated in two states – Kogi (went to APC) & Ekiti (went to PDP). Further updates via The Punch, below:
He said, “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 held in a substantial number of polling units across the country, including the troubled North-East zone where internally displaced persons voted in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states.
“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.”
Jega said the elections were extended and concluded on Sunday in nine states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Taraba State has the highest number of 116 polling units where the polls were extended.
Other states where the number of polling units where the elections were extended are Lagos (90), Kebbi (16), Adamawa (25), Niger (six ), Yobe (37), Borno (eight), Jigawa (37), Kano (13) and FCT (two).
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, who 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. He said that the results from the two had yet to arrive Abuja in the manner that it could be announced.
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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