INEC reschedules governorship election to 18 March to allow litigants inspect vote capture devices used for 25 February elections.

The Court of Appeal yesterday 8 March allowed INEC’s request to reconfigure the devices for the next set of elections.

The action will wipe out the election results captured by the devices at polling units nationwide. The prospect alarmed candidates seeking to inspect the devices, prompting them to appeal to the court to stop INEC.

Incidentally the candidates – Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi – separately approached the Court for permission to inspect the devices.

In declining their request, the Tribunal gave the agency four days to back up Presidential results before reconfiguring their devices.

INEC said last night that time allowed is too close to the state elections, hence their decision to reschedule.

Agency spokesperson, Festus Okoye, issued a statement to announce a postponement.

All three top finishers claim victory at the presidential polls awarded to Mr. Tinubu. Their claims remain conjectures, given INEC’s failure to manage the voting process after public assurances that it was capable and ready.

Although INEC handed a certificate of victory to APC candidate Bola Tinubu, the duo of Abubakar and Obi are challenging his declarion decision at the Tribunal.

The candidates are challenging the result, based on widespread dissatisfaction with the conduct of the voting process. Most foreign observers reported that INEC was not efficient in managing the process.

The law empowers the Appeal Court to constitute the Presidential Election Tribunal to hear election issues and the result itself as announced.

The loser in the appeal can approach can approach the Supreme Court for a review of the judgments. The Supreme Court is final arbiter of who becomes President of Nigeria following a legal dispute of an election.

INEC reschedules governorship election

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