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

According to the election ob- server group, the Buhari regime had shown unambiguously its displeasure with both the Judiciary and INEC for not delivering its preferred outcomes.

It further held that there was a clear pattern of desperation, constitutional violation and fabrication in the actions of the regime towards both key institutions that have a critical role in the elections.

Thus, in this post-election report, the group detailed various instances in which it said the incumbent president had shown intent and discernible actions to undermine the elections.

While enumerating several shortcomings of the 2019 election, the USNLG expressed grave concern at the brazen militarisation of the elections.

It added that in furtherance of its partisan agenda in both the Judiciary and INEC, the President Buhari-led APC administration fabricated a faux court ruling on the basis of which it justified its unconstitutional acts.

For instance, the USNLG report noted that: “The Buhari regime acting ostensibly on a private petition interfered with both the Judiciary and INEC regarding the removal of CJN and election postponement respectively.”

It said the President’s refusal to sign the electoral reforms into law showed clearly “the mens rea or criminal intent by the president not to allow the conduct of credible elections from the word go.

“Indeed, the president is on record for having said following the passage of the ‘not-too-young to run’ law, that it should be only after his re-election. This Freudian slip cements the notion that he nixed the electoral reforms for the same self-perpetuation.

“For these and other reasons, it is transparently clear that the Buhari regime had motive, opportunity, mens rea and actus reus (criminal intent and culpable acts) and declared intent and discernible actions to undermine the elections. In this respect, they were successful in premeditated failure,” it said. The election observer group therefore said it decided to share its report for the benefit of the electorate and the international community for the sake of global democracy.

With regards to the issue of malpractices and activities of compromised poll officials, the observer group said it has firsthand report of what transpired in Benue State, for instance, on the eve of the rescheduled presidential and National Assembly polls of February 16.

“We gathered that out of a list of about 500 names submitted by a federal institution to INEC as poll officials, a ruling party Senator selected those whom he deemed he could ‘work with’. In addition, the APC Senator doled out millions of naira, which was distributed to the INEC-trained poll officials at a location in Makurdi, the Benue State Capital. The temporary poll officials were called by phone to come and collect the serving Senator’s cash in person from the said location.”