the election due irregularities in 22 states of the federation including Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo; Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi states.
Others include Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, Lagos, Sokoto, Kaduna, Jigawa, Gombe, Yobe, Zamfara, Adamawa, Nasarawa states and FCT.
Buhari alleged that the computers used in compiling the votes were programmed to rig the election in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
In a petition submitted by his party to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Buhari further sought an investigation into how a software was installed in the computers with the aim of assisting Jonathan to victory in the election.
President Jonathan, who received his certificate of return with his running mate and current Vice President, Namadi Sambo, between 4.40 and 4.45pm had condemned the recent crisis adding that he was prepared to run an all-inclusive government.
But the petition signed by the CPC’s National Chairman, Prince Tony Momoh, and National Secretary, Engr. Buba Galadima, equally accused the PDP of intimidating voters and that result from the south-south and south-east should be cancelled.
According to the petitioner, "We (CPC) are also disagreeing with results from Sokoto, Adamawa, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Jigawa among others.
"All results must be subjected to forensic analysis before it is announced. If it is announced without forensic analysis, we will not accept it."
The petition read further: “Our attention has been drawn by our State collation officers, polling agents, and election supervisors in the states of the South-South and South-East and some other states that the presidential elections held on April 16, 2011 in Nigeria were conducted in substantial non-compliance with the principles of the Electoral Act with the effect that the results handed down were substantially affected by massive irregularities that include the following:
1.Members of the public in the areas mentioned were at most polling stations intimidated and driven away from the polling units with the effect that the ballot papers in ballot boxes were printed and stuffed in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
2.Opposition voters were directly and indirectly kept away from polling units through threats of force, violence and death in consequence of which they were disenfranchised.
3.There was clear absence of accreditation of voters in most of the polling units and the regulated procedure for the conduct of the purported election was as a result violently breached to the advantage of PDP.
4.There is strong suspicion, supported by reasonable grounds, that the Excel computer application installed in the computers of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, across the nation was deliberately designed to short change the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. This can be attested to by the unfolding situation of Katsina and Kano where the manual calculation of the results reveal that our Party was short changed by hundreds of thousands of votes when the results were manually reviewed.
The party therefore asked the INEC chairman to:
1.Order the respective Chief Electoral Commissioners and such other custodians of all
presidential election documents including statement of results, ballot papers and voters registers which are returned to the Commission by the Returning Officers to produce them to be analysed in line with our allegation on multiple and alien voting by voters not registered at the polling units.
2.Investigate the allegation of manipulation of Excel Application Programme installed in the field computers of INEC deliberately designed to favour PDP and short change CPC.
3. Order for the cancellation of the results handed down from the South_South and South East in the event the investigation revealed the alleged breaches.
4. Order for concurrent manual recalculation of the result across the country alongside the Excel Application calculation.
The petitioner further said: “We, therefore, appeal that you demand the ballot papers and result sheets as collated from these zones and states for scrutiny in the interest of peace, prosperity, free, fair and credible elections. We recall that on Sunday April 17, because of reports we received, we issued a press statement that we would accept only collated results from polling stations."
Observers, who monitored the elections have however called on Buhari to accept what they described as one of the freest and fairest elections the country has ever had.
The entire observers, under a coalition, Project 2011 Swift Count, urged the Buhari and other candidates in the election to accept the results as declared by INEC without problems.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, its First Vice-President, Mr. Dafe Akpedeye, said the exercise was transparent and credible.
According to him, “INEC has conducted the collation of presidential results in a very open manner. Official results by states have immediately been posted on the internet for anyone to see.
"In order to ensure even greater transparency and accountability Project 2011 Swift Count calls upon INEC to also post polling unit level results on its website."
Comments