Islamic group warns politicians against harassing INEC at national collation centre

The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria, MMWG has called on politicians that contested in the just concluded presidential election and their supporters not to turn the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC National Collation Centre into a battlefield where the commission is harassed or intimidated since it’s not a contestant but an umpire.

Rather, it enjoined them to abide by the agreement signed under the Peace Accord spearheaded by the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and his team.

Reacting to the interruption of the INEC election results declaration by some interested parties at the National Collation Centre in Abuja, MMWG, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, described the action as destructive and condemnable, adding that INEC was following the official process of election declaration as contained in the electoral law.

It, therefore, called on anyone or group with genuine complaints to raise them there peacefully or in a court of law.

The group called the attention of security agencies to the destructive interference of the result declaration process of last Sunday and advised them to be alert by taking absolute control of the proceedings at the National Collation Centre to ensure that such a disruptive attempt is henceforth nipped in the bud.

It commended INEC for doing a good job, stating that this year’s election has been seamless, good and transparent.

MMWG affirmed that with the nation moving to 72 hours after the conclusion of the election, all political parties and their flag-bearers now have the whole results as conveyed to them by their party agents and they are only waiting for the INEC official declaration which must not be delayed any longer.

“Let no loser shift the battlefield from polling units to Collation Centre, please. As the Orubebe drama failed in 2015, so will the Melaye gimmick fail this 2023, Insha Allah.

“Reports that an opposition party and their collaborators are working on using a court order to stop the declaration process shows how desperate some contestants are. This means that they are not for a better Nigeria but are only interested in their selfish ambitions. No responsible court will grant such an order,” the group stressed.

It finally called on INEC to declare the balance of the entire results today, as the group warned on the consequences of its further delay stating that no individual or group interest is greater than that of the entire citizens of this country.

“Nigerians are anxious to know their president-elect without further delay,” the group stated