When The Court Decides On Inec’s Decision To Alter The BVAs, Tinubu Files A Lawsuit.
and transparent elections in the nation, expressed its worry over the issue of data retention during the first round of elections conducted on February 25 in a statement.
Situation Room requests that INEC explain to the public how it plans to guarantee that the data gathered by the BVAS voting devices will be kept for use in the review and audit of the elections.
“Information gathered during elections must be retained for use in the audit and review of the election as well as for accountability reasons in order for there to be effective electoral accountability.
Situation Room is requesting INEC to make sure that its records and data connected to the election are stored safely and securely to guarantee their usage for the purposes of inspection and accountability in view of the disputes that have developed and the controversy surrounding the elections.
“Reports suggesting that the BVAS may need to be reconfigured or even erased for the upcoming governorship and states’ Assembly elections due on Saturday is a serious cause for concern, and we worry that this could further pose additional credibility questions over the integrity and conduct of the general elections,” read the statement, which was signed by conveners of the CSOs Ene Obi, Asma’u Joda, and James Ugochukwu.
As all is going on, a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has ordered INEC and the Rivers State administration to appear before it to defend the validity of Saturday’s gubernatorial election. This was in response to a lawsuit filed by Chief Tonte Ibraye, a candidate for governor of Rivers for the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC).
Tonte also claimed in an ex parte motion that the Rivers State government’s new executive orders had a detrimental effect on the state’s electoral system.
The plaintiffs, Ibraye and ADC, requested the suspension of the state’s guber election in the Abuja lawsuit FHC/ABJ/CS/246/2023 on four reasons. Nevertheless, the ex parte motion that was received by Ms. G.I. Obata, Registrar of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, and transferred to be heard in Port Harcourt, was heard yesterday.
The defendants, the governor of Rivers, the attorney general of Rivers, the PDP, and INEC were directed to appear before the court today at 1:00 p.m. by Judge A.T. Mohammed, who is presiding over the case.
The parties were to be there to make their cases for why the elections on Saturday shouldn’t be postponed, according to Mohammed.
