The Edo State Civil Society Organisation (EDOSCO) has called on aggrieved political parties and candidates to jettison the idea of protesting but rather go to Court to reclaim their mandate as enshrined in the 1999 constitution.
EDOCSO Interim TEC Chairman, Leftist Austine Enabulele, who gave the charge yesterday in Benin while speaking on the outcome of the February 25 Presidential and National election, said the election fell short of a transparent, credible election the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) promise Nigerians.
“The elections were marred with logistics and operational failures, failure in electoral transparency, cases of violence across 36 states. Even citizens contact numbers provided to Nigerians for complaint were not working, while the BVAS failed to transmit results.
“The reports from our members who were accredited election observers and citizens-observers from the different polling units around the country gave credence to our assertion of the shambolic elections”
“We adjudge the election not to be transparent, credible and fair. Also, the process of the declaration of the winners of the election, especially the president elect, some sections of the electoral Act were obviously and consciously ignored”
“For safety of lives and public properties, we like to plead to all aggrieved politicians and political parties to please jettison the idea of protesting to reclaim their mandate but rather put together all available evidences to prove beyond reasonable doubt and employ the services of lawyers and proceed to court as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria as amended”.
Enabulele also advised the court to be fair to all sides in all cases brought before them especially the presidential election so as to prove that the court is truly the last hope of the common man.
He also charged Edo People to use the state assembly election to correct the anomaly in the state house in which nine members carry out legislative function while 15 constituencies are not represented at the Assembly.
