Buhari: How INEC rigged for Jonathan in 20 states

The Nation

9 May 2011

Buhari: How INEC rigged for Jonathan in 20 states

CPC urges tribunal to order fresh poll over Lagos, Kwara, 18 others

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) yesterday began its battle to upturn President Goodluck Jonathan’s victory at the April 16 presidential election.

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s party filed a petition before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, just ahead of today’s deadline for submission of petitions.

The CPC is asking for the nullification of results in 20 states where it said the election was rigged.

The states where the CPC is alleging substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act and other irregularities are: Lagos, Bayelsa, Kaduna, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Kwara, Adamawa, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Enugu and Cross River.

Others are: Rivers, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo Anambra, Benue and Plateau states as well as the FCT.

In the petition anchored on two grounds and filed by Mr. Ebun Shofunde (SAN), Abubakar Malami (SAN) and Alasa Ismail, the CPC is asking the tribunal to set aside the presidential election and organise a fresh election between the CPC and the PDP.

The CPC also urges the tribunal to hold that Jonathan and his running mate, Namadi Sambo, were not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election.

The CPC plans to prove that there was substantial variation in the voters’ register used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the presidential and governorship elections. To that extent, says the party, INEC and its chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, unlawfully manipulated the register to the advantage of Jonathan and Sambo.

It accused INEC of using different voters’ registers containing different number of voters for different elections.