2023 Poll: Datti Baba-Ahmed Labels INEC ‘Criminal’ Over 4am Result Declaration
Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the announcement of the 2023 presidential election results in the early hours of the morning.
Speaking during an interview with Symfoni, Baba-Ahmed described the electoral body’s decision to declare the results around 4 a.m. as unacceptable, arguing that no credible institution should announce such an important outcome at that hour.
He questioned why Nigerians appeared to have moved on from the controversy, recalling that the then INEC Chairman had earlier indicated that the results would be announced by 9 a.m.
According to him, the decision to announce the results at 4 a.m. undermined public confidence in the electoral process.
Baba-Ahmed also took a swipe at President Bola Tinubu, whose victory emerged from the election, arguing that it was inappropriate for a government to be formed from a process he considered flawed.
“I keep asking why Nigerians accept everything. How can an INEC chairman assure African leaders, including former South African President Thabo Mbeki, that election results would be announced by 9 a.m., only to go ahead and announce them at 4 a.m.?
“Who conducts such an important exercise at that hour? An electoral commission that announces election results at 4 a.m. has questions to answer. I believe that was wrong,” he said.
