TINUBU WAS SWIFTLY NAMED ETIABA'S PRESIDENT-ELECT BY INEC

Emeka Etiaba

Bola Ahmed Tinubu was pronounced the winner of the election by the Independent National Election Commission, INEC, too quickly, according to a prominent Nigerian attorney named Emeka Etiaba.

Emeka criticized INEC's choice, claiming that the organization would have revealed the victor only after settling all outstanding objections.

He revealed this in an interview with Channels Television on Monday.

He said, "The issue of the complaints of the manipulations of the results sheets, BVAS not being uploaded by party agents were also swept under the carpet. The agents and parties made so much fuss about it; they were promised that it would be looked at; indeed, Section 651 of the Electoral Act gives the commission seven days to look into those issues before making a return, but they didn't do it.

"There was no compulsion in announcing the president-elect; indeed, section 70 of the electoral act gives the Commission up to 14 days to make their returns; what is the haste about?"

"INEC has the power to review the results; they are still within time. But what they could not do before they declared the winner, I doubt if they would do it now," he said.