Ghana’s former President John Kufuor, who is leading an ECOWAS Election Observer delegation in Nigeria has asked Africa’s most populous country to continue in its peaceful mood as the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) collates results from Saturday’s general polls.
“Nigeria so far has been at peace with the process and so we appeal to Nigeria to continue in this mood through the entire process so that at the end of the day the people of Nigeria will be satisfied with themselves that they used the process to give themselves the government they want, [and the Government] they deserve,” Mr Kufuor told journalists.
The incumbent party, PDP earlier Tuesday threatened to reject the final results. Its agent at the collation centre Mr. Godsday Orubebe, a former Minister of State seized the microphone during the collation process and launched an acerbic attack on the head of the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, accusing him of bias.
According to Mr. Orubebe, Prof Jega gave audience to a protest raised by the APC as far as results in Rivers state were concerned, but has swept similar protests raised by the PDP in four states under the carpet.
“Mr Chairman APC protested to you and you sent a delegation to Rivers state to see what is happening there...
“Mr Chairman we are beginning to see that you are very very selective. You are getting very very partial.
“Mr Chairman we have lost confidence in what you are doing. If we can send a protest to you and you cannot take up that protest then why are we here because the essence of we sending any protest to you is to enable you to look into the matter and see whether it has merits or demerits.
“But when the APC brought their own you went all out to send a delegation…We have complained about Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kaduna; you have not done anything. Mr Chairman we are not going to take that. We have lost confidence in you because you are partial, you are selective Mr Chairman.
“We don’t believe in you anymore, and we cannot go on the way you are going. You are compromised and we will not take it from you. Until something is done to our letters, until you do something the way you did with APC we will not continue with you.
“You are selective, you are tribalistic, you are partial…until something is done, we will not allow you to continue with this thing. Nigeria will not allow you do this.
"Every protest must be taken seriously,” the angry PDP agent said.
Collation stalled for a while.
Meanwhile partial results, according to the BBC give ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari a narrow lead over the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan.
With more than half of Nigeria's 36 states declared, Gen Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) is ahead by half a million votes.
A victory for Gen Buhari would make President Jonathan the first incumbent to lose an election in Nigeria.
BBC Correspondents say it is likely the loser will allege foul play.
More than 800 people were killed in protests after Mr Jonathan beat Gen Buhari in the previous election.
Results so far:
Gen Buhari: 10,454,137 votes;
Passed 25% threshold in 16 states
Mr Jonathan: 9,953,432 votes;
Passed 25% threshold in 20 states
Results from 25 states Abuja
Candidates needs 25% in 24 states for first-round victory
Source: Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/103.5fm with files from BBC
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