The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, on Sunday said the report released by the European Union, EU, on the 2019 general elections was a vindication of his stand on the exercise.
The VON-DG, who is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, spoke to journalists in Enugu, maintaining that Nigerians freely gave President Muhammadu Buhari their mandate.
He said, “some of us have been vindicated, as our position had been that Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) did not generate 2019 general elections result from server.
“We had maintained that its trite in law that one cannot build something out of nothing; accordingly we agree with EU Election Observer Mission denial of knowledge of the existence of the so called server used by INEC to conduct 2019 general elections.”
Okechukwu said he was glad “to hear the Deputy Chief of the Observer Mission, Hannah Roberts agreeing with the reality of relying on results that were released by INEC.”
He added, “What’s amazed one is the paradox in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s canvass that in one breadth , INEC conducted elections transparently in Adamawa, Bauchi, Imo, Oyo, Zamfara etc, where they won and in another breadth manipulated the results in axis it lost.
“Methinks it’s wrong to gloss over the truism that President Muhammadu Buhari has a 12 Million Vote-Bank, which had been on display in 2003, 2007, 20011, 2015 and 2019 presidential elections.
“Therefore, Facebook Server or Twitter Server, the hard fact is that President Buhari has cult followership, which is only comparable to that of Malam Aminu Kano or Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sarduna of Sokoto, both of blessed memory, in the North. Nobody can erase this hard fact.”
On the report where the EU Election Observer Mission pointed out systemic failings seen in the elections, and the relatively low levels of voter participation and call for fundamental electoral reforms, Okechukwu quipped, “I am in league with the statement emanating from the presidency that President Buhari will work with all Nigerian citizens, state institutions, civil society, the media and other experts to make sure that there will be proper electoral reforms.
“Let me as well plead with INEC to gradually commence the introduction of E-Voting in the off cycle state elections, as preparatory ground for full implementation of Electronic Voting. We must remind ourselves that there was a time when one eminent citizen said that telephone is not for the poor, but today the groundnut hawker in his village has smart phone. We must commence E-Voting as a matter of urgent national importance.”
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