US Observer Group Says Election Shortcomings Orchestrated to Benefit Incumbent, APC

Military invasion and rampage in Rivers State, troublesome on several levels Clear pattern of desperation, constitutional violation of key institutions

The United States-Nigeria Law Group, an election observer initiative, has released a damning election assessment report of the 2019 election, where it clearly stated that most of the issues that troubled the 2019 general election were deliberately contrived to assist the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to retain power at the centre.

Of particular note is an aspect of the report which claimed that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, in both the Judiciary and INEC matters, violated the constitution of Nigeria, which guarantees their independence from interference.

From its findings, the group posited that while the electorate prepared for elections, it was as though the incumbent was "preparing a military operation.”

In a statement signed by Mr. Emmanuel Ogebe and obtained by THISDAY at the weekend, the Group said it observed conscious efforts to compromise the elections and raised early warnings as well as concerns, which have now been validated and proven by the resulting self-sabotaged elections.

For example, it noted that INEC announced inconclusive elections in 6 states out of which PDP was reportedly leading in all but one.

“This is highly suggestive and unsettling all by itself. However, there are further indications that similar results in states in which the APC was leading were not declared inconclusive. Some states where a rerun was illogical, because the mathematical probabilities could not conceivably produce a different outcome have still been scheduled for rerun.

“The principle on cancelled votes versus margin of victory, which ostensibly informed the inconclusive declarations in state elections, was not uniformly applied in the presidential elections. So far the following states have been declared inconclusive – the most ever in Nigerian history – Benue, Plateau, Adamawa, Sokoto, Kano and Bauchi states.

“It is especially noteworthy that in the case of Kano State, the PDP was overwhelming leading when the Deputy Governor seized and tore the results of the last Local Government to be declared. This brazen act of brigandage was caught on video and is perhaps emblematic of how the election results overall have been hijacked.”

On the postponement of the presidential and National Assembly elections from February 16 to 23, the group said its investigations and analysis indicated that the action was orchestrated by the ruling party based on its dissatisfaction with judiciary pronouncements on cases affecting its candidates.