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As Nigerians await the announcement of the results of Saturday’s elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the two major candidates in the Presidential election, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), have expressed hope of victory at the polls.
Atiku, a former vice president, on Sunday confirmed that the initial indications from the party’s Simultaneous Vote Count indicate victory for him, and so he was optimistic of winning the presidential election.
Earlier, after casting his ballot at Niyam Polling Unit in Sarkin Yara ‘A’ Ward in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State, on Saturday, Buhari, incumbent president, said he was optimistic of winning the 2019 Presidential election.
“I will congratulate myself. I will win the election,” Buhari told journalists in Daura when asked if he would accept defeat and congratulate the winner.
Africa’s biggest oil producer held its Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday after an earlier postponement from the original scheduled date of February 16. Though reports say the election was largely marred by violence, vote buying, delays, smart card reader failure and voter intimidation, Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, told journalists the commission was “generally satisfied” with the polls.
Some polling stations remained open on Sunday to allow more Nigerians to vote in what many see as a tight presidential race between Buhari and Atiku, although some 70 other presidential candidates participated in the election. Nearly 73 million eligible voters were cleared by INEC to vote in the election.
While results have been circulating on social media, Yakubu cautioned against premature declaration of results by candidates, political parties and their associates.
“Only the Independent National Electoral Commission can tally figures, announce results and declare winners,” Yakubu said.
Meanwhile, Yakubu yesterday decalred open the National Collation Centre for the Presidential and National Assembly elections results in Abuja. He, however, adjourned proceedings till 11am today.
There is as yet uncertainty as to where victory would go. While Atiku lost his own polling unit in Adamawa State to Muhammadu Buhari, his main challenger and APC presidential candidate, he, however, rebounded quickly from the loss as he defeated Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
But both Buhari and Atiku camps continue to claim “resounding victory”, citing results from different polling units across the country.
“With strong shares of vote in South South, South East as well as an increased share in SW and NC, we are very pleased with the progress the PDP has made. We look forward to sharing some exciting news in other parts of the country very soon, which will confound all the armchair pundits,” Phrank Shaibu, Atiku’s special assistant on public communication, said in a statement on Sunday.
“The people of Nigeria can take solace that very soon the living nightmare of the last four years will come to an end so that together we will get Nigeria working again,” Shaibu said.
Also, the PPD on Sunday called on INEC to immediately announce results as delivered from the polling units and declare its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, the winner of the February 23 presidential election.
The PDP said results across the country showed that its presidential candidate was in “clear lead both in spread and total number of votes cast”, accusing President Buhari and the APC of planning to alter election results at the collation centres.
“Curiously, INEC server is now shut down, results are no more being transmitted and the reason is to enable the APC to inflate figures from six designated states. We call on international observers and election monitors to insist on a transparent process of transmission of results and the monitoring thereof,” Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP national publicity secretary, said in a press statement on Sunday.
“We already have reports of how APC governors in the northern states have been making desperate effort to tamper with the results of the elections in their respective states with the view to award conjured votes to President Buhari. In Kogi State, Governor Yahaya Bello has been making frantic moves to change results to suit APC’s intent and purposes as against the wishes of the people, expressly delivered at the polls,” Ologbondiyan said.
While saying that any attempt to alter election results would be vehemently resisted, the opposition party expressed concerns over delay in announcing final results.
Similarly, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) in a statement on Sunday accused INEC of planning to cancel some Area Council presidential election results won by PDP in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Specifically, the CUPP claimed the electoral body wanted to declare the presidential polls results in the nation’s capital inconclusive and pave the way for a rerun.
Ikenga Ugochinyere, CUPP spokesperson, who signed the statement, insisted that the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, won the FCT with over 75 percent margin.
“President Buhari and his team after the FCT results were tabulated realised that not only did Atiku defeat him in FCT but that he could not score 25 percent of the votes cast requirement, hence the plan to cancel results from the remote areas of Bwari, Abaji, etc to help declare FCT inconclusive. The world monitored election in Abuja and know that Atiku led Buhari with wide margins despite all the rampage visited on voters in the remote areas of FCT.
“We call on INEC chairman to back down from the evil plan of his men working with outgoing (President) Buhari to declare election inconclusive in FCT or any other part of the country as this will be an invitation to anarchy. The will of the people of FCT given to Atiku must be respected,” the statement said.
INEC announced last week that it would make the final results of the Presidential poll available on Wednesday.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
