Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by one of the spokespersons of the presidential campaign council Dino Melaye have staged a walkout from the International Conference Center (ICC), Abuja venue of the National Collation Center of Saturday’s presidential election.
Senator Melaye had consistently raised issues over the uploading of election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on its server to the Chairman who has been presiding over results collation at the ICC.
The former senator had reminded the INEC chairman that he had made 68 promises and INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee Festus Okoye made 118 promises to ensure free, fair and transparent elections, adding that by not uploading the results, they have failed to keep their promises.
He accused the INEC chairman of determination to rig the election and as a result, has compromised the electoral process on behalf of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Melaye went further to allege that the INEC deliberately refused to upload the results which he said had been doctored.
He said that there was a need for the INEC to upload the results so that they can compare them with the results being turned in from the states, adding that without that they do not have confidence in the whole process.
Melaye said the PDP and nine or ten other parties were walking out of the collation center because they would not rubber stamp the rigging he is accusing INEC of.
Officials of both the APC and the Labour Party (LP) immediately reacted to the Dino Melaye-led walk out.
The APC which described the action of the agents as drama challenged them to show where it has become mandatory in the Electoral Act to force the INEC to meet their demand.
They threatened that in the event of any breach, they will head to court to seek redress, and warned Dino Melaye and co to retrace their steps.
The LP campaign Director-General Akin Osuntokun, in their reaction said the LP was watching the whole event with keen interest and would take decisions at the right time.