A few days ago, the Independent National Electoral Commission declared the Osun State Governorship elections inconclusive. This bold action has triggered all manners of verbal umbrage against the elections Umpire but particularly, the Head of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu. Conspiracy theorists have latched upon this action to vent their anger on a man whose only “sin” was that he was appointed by the current president. But before delving into the Incredulity of judging a man’s character and competence for job through the lenses of his appointing authority, let us dispassionately examine today’s action by the EMB and try to anchor its legality or otherwise against the provisions of the statutes that undergird elections in our land.
First, the Constitution and the Electoral Act made it mandatory on INEC to conduct free, fair and credible elections. To achieve this, the voter is key. His/her vote must count. Protecting the sanctity of the vote is crucial. The entire electoral legal framework is intended to achieve this objective. Responsibilities are assigned, processes and procedures defined and sanctions prescribed all with the intention of achieving that objective.
Specifically Section 153 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) empowers the Commission, in pursuit of the provisions of the Act, to "issue regulations, guidelines, or manuals for the purpose of giving affect to the provisions of this Act and for its administration thereof". Accordingly, INEC has made guidelines and regulations to protect the sanctity of the vote in instances where the processes are disrupted to disenfranchise voters. It is common knowledge that politicians have hijacked ballot papers, chased away voters and disrupted processes and procedures in order to gain unfair advantage.
That is why INEC formulated guidelines and regulations to the effect that where voters are disenfranchised on account of someone's disruptive action, INEC gives such voters another opportunity to vote where their number will make a difference to the outcome of the election. The Commission has been applying this regulation in several elections. So there is nothing new here. This was applied in Governorship elections in Imo (2011 and 2015), Anambra (2013), Taraba (2015), Kogi ,Bayelsa (2015) etc.
Let us take a look at examples of these inconclusive elections.
Case Number (1)
IMO GUBER ELECTIONS 2015
Okorocha( APGA) —-385,671
Ihedioha( PDP) ——-306,142
Margin———79,529
Cancelled votes——-144,715

From the above, it is evident that the margin or victory was lower than the cancelled votes, a number that is enough to alter the balance. The Commission under Professor Attahiru Jega did the needful and promptly declared the elections inconclusive. Take note that my party, the ruling party then hailed the decision and applauded the decision of the INEC, calling it a “patriotic and sound decision “. Of course, APGA kicked against it. A re-run election was scheduled which APGA won. Recall that a similar situation had happened in 2011 in the same IMO between Okorocha and Ikedi Ohakim where INEC had declared the elections inconclusive because elections did not take place in some wards.
Case Number (2)
ANAMBRA SENATORIAL ELECTION 2011
Dora Akunyili( APGA) ——-66,273
Chris Ngige ( ACN) ——65,576
Margin —697
INEC declared the elections inconclusive because elections did not take place in some wards with a voting population that was higher than the margin of victory.
Case Number (3)
KOGI GUBER ELECTION 2015
Abubakar Audu( APC) —-240,867
Wada Idris ( PDP) —199,514
Margin —————41,353
Cancelled votes ———49,953
Again, the margin here was less than the cancellations and was rightly declared inconclusive by Professor Mahmood Yakubu led INEC. The point to note here was that the APC was by this time the ruling party and clearly had a huge lead but Yakubu still refused to budge under pressure by the ruling party to announce it as winner. My party the PDP applauded it.
CASE NUMBER (4)
BAYELSA GUBER ELECTIONS 2015
Dickson ( PDP) ——-105,748
Sylva ( APC)——72,594
Margin ——-33,154
In the case of Bayelsa, a contraption of an election had taken place in Southern Ijaw which had Sylva winning the entire 120,000 votes in that area, but this much maligned Yakubu refused to accept it , declared it inconclusive and ordered a re-run for the number of registered voters were clearly more than the margin of victory. The PDP received this news well and celebrated it.

CASE NUMBER (5)
ANAMBRA GUBER ELECTION 2013
Obiano ( APGA) —174,710
Tony Nwoye ( PDP) —-94,956
Margin——-79,754
Cancelled votes——-113,113
Again the Commission under Jega declared it inconclusive and the PDP celebrated it as a bold move.
I have taken time to outline these numbers to show that even where the margins were wide, and when logic will suggest that the lead would be insurmountable, so long as it is mathematically possible for someone from a losing position to win an election, it was incumbent on the Umpire NOT to declare a winner.

Spot on

Ok we hear.....but there should be an open and fair ground for the re run, and not or the fight

If the figures above are real and correct, then you deserve some accolades.
This is what true journalism is about.
Keep it up.

All Nigerian reject the Satanic enclave called APC and their Satanic leader called Buhari .... APC leave us alone !!!!!

Op, the constitution is the supreme law of the land and is above every by-law, including the electoral act. the constitution states that the presidential and gubernatorial elections are won by the person with most votes. All these margins, cancelled votes are contained in the inec electoral act and if it is in conflict with the constitution, the electoral act should amended or wiped off now. According to the constitution now, the pdp has met all the requirements to be declared winner of the osun guber election, period.

umuna:



IMO GUBER ELECTIONS 2015
Okorocha( APGA) APC—-385,671
Ihedioha( PDP) ——-306,142
Margin———79,529
Cancelled votes——-144,715

You can lie for Africa,Okorocha won his second term under APC not APGA.