Africa: Election Results - AU Mission Urges INEC to Remain Committed to Rule of Law

27 February 2023
Daily Trust (Abuja)
By Joshua Odeyemi

The African Union (AU) Observation Missions for the Nigerian general elections have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain committed to the rule of law until the conclusion of the electoral process.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Leader of the AU delegation, made the call on Monday in Abuja during a preliminary briefing on the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria.

"As the country awaits the announcement of results by INEC, the Mission urges all stakeholders to remain committed to the rule of law and democratic principles until the conclusion of the process.

"The Mission further encourages any aggrieved party to use legally established channels to seek recourse," he said.

Kenyatta while making recommendations to the INEC, advised the electoral umpire to review the allocation of voters per polling unit in an equitable manner.

While fielding questions from journalists, Kenyatta said they have tried to be as transparent as possible in reporting what they have seen, adding that the process is not over until declarations are made.

Kenyatta, therefore, charged the electoral umpire to rectify whatever challenges it is encountering so that the process could be brought to a credible and peaceful conclusion.

"The only thing I can do is to...appeal to INEC to recognise the mood and see what the situation is to speed up the process and ensure that process of accountability and credibility that they have maintained so far.

"To continue to maintain it to the end so that true will of the good people of Nigeria shall be expressed in the leaders that they elect.

"We have no reason whatsoever to doubt the integrity of INEC. For us, it is to continue to appeal that those glitches they are having be rectified. The sooner the process is brought to a transparent conclusion, the better.

"And the only appeal we will have over and above that is to all stakeholders, political parties, the candidates to have the patience to await the final authority entrusted to do that.

"To abide by the peace accord that we all witnessed signed and whatever the outcome to follow legal and constitutional means to air whatever grievances that they may have," he said.

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