A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council, Festus Keyamo, has challenged the credibility of the Rivers State Presidential Election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had earlier announced Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of Saturday’s presidential election in Rivers State.
Keyamo challenged the credibility of the election result following the announcement of the result at the National Collation Centre Abuja, by Prof. Udo Essien, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, who is also the Collation Officer for the election in the state.
Essien announced that Atiku polled 473,971 votes to defeat All Progressives Congress (APC)’s President Muhamadu Buhari, who scored 150,710 votes.
The senior lawyer in his reaction said the report of the State Collation Officer for the Presidential Election in Rivers state was a source of concern to his party as the decision taken by the SCOPE had adversely affected the votes of his candidate in the state.
“We polled the highest votes in Emohua LGA (about 72,000 votes) as against 2,000 votes by our nearest political party rivals.
“The SCOPE in his report alluded to the fact that the LGA Collation officer made returns and so our source of concern is the legal implication of his account and that of our own collation officer.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC Chairman on his part noted that the argument of Keyamo, however, reminded him that it was not the right time and avenue to begin to challenge the credibility of INEC election results, adding “we are not conducting an inquest here.”
“However, the constitution and our laws are very clear on the procedures to be taken before making a declaration.
“I will look at the reports that emanated from the states alongside the constitution and legal provisions and do the needful,’’
