2023 Election: Ortom Cautions INEC To Play By Rules

Governor of Benue State Samuel Ortom has cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to play by the rules and not change in the middle of the governorship and houses of assembly elections.

Ortom who gave the advice while speaking with newsmen shortly after voting in the election on Saturday hailed the peaceful process as well as the turnout for the election.

The Governor tasked the commission to not make a repeat of what transpired during the presidential and national assembly elections to repeat itself.

He insisted that the results be transmitted immediately, warning that they should not be doctored.

“The turnout is very impressive. It's just around 9 am and more people are coming.

“Our people are more sensitized and they are here to protect their votes until it is transmitted.

“As you can see, there is peace everywhere.

“The opposition is jittery and that is why they have gone accusing the PDP of arming militia with weapons among others.

“I have tried to find out in other locations in Guma local government and other places in the state; there is no crisis whatsoever. Let everybody go and vote but let INEC do the needful.

“I hope that INEC has taken note of the grave mistake that was done during the voting exercise and transmission of results during the presidential and national assembly elections because you cannot shift the goalpost in the middle of the game.

“That is what INEC did last time.”

“The challenge is why did they not upload results of the (presidential and national assembly) election electronically as stipulated in their guidelines?

“That is what we were working with and you go and shift the goal post and that is how the election was rigged and we are completely dissatisfied with what had happened and it's unacceptable and that is why we have gone to court because we are law-abiding citizens and we want everybody to be free, we don’t want crisis.

“From here (polling units), we want the result to be transmitted.

“Let us know who has the highest votes, not going to doctor it somewhere and say there is a problem with the server.

“I don’t think Nigerians are ready to hear that.

“The international observers have completely disagreed with the process which produced whoever emerged as the winner,” he warned.