Richard Anyebe
The United Nations (UN) has asked political parties and candidates aggrieved with the result of last Saturday’s presidential election to seek legal and constitutional channels to contest the results of the polls.
The Spokesman of the UN, Stéphane Dujarric, stated this while speaking with NAN in New York.
He said Nigeria has a strong history of peaceful transition of power.
According to him, the UN had offered technical support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), adding that the aid yielded “some” results.
The spokesman noted that although the UN did not play a role in observing the elections, it was common for tensions to arise whenever results do not sit well with the people.
“Yes, I mentioned to you earlier, that United National Development Programme (UNDP), offered technical support to Independent National Electoral Commission. We are not an observer on these elections,” NAN quoted the UN spokesperson as saying.
“Included in this support has been technical support to improve the process and use of technology in preparing for and managing the election.
“There’s not for the UN to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on how the elections were run. I think Nigeria has a very strong and proud democratic history of peaceful transition of power in recent years. There is a process ongoing.
“It is important at this point in any election, in any country, and we’ve seen it in the north, we’ve seen it in the south and east and west, we’ve seen issues of great tension following elections when people didn’t accept the results.”
The UN image maker called for calm in the country, saying it would take a process to see desired results.
He added that the legal use of seeking solutions to the problems arising from the election results would play a role in stabilising the country.
“It is important that all stakeholders work for the better, for the stability of the country, and use existing legal and constitutional channels to challenge if they so wish, any election results,” the UN spokesperson said.
“What is important is that as in any election, any… that if any candidate or group of candidates have an issue with the results that they go through the established legal and constitutional channels to work out their challenges.
“And it is very important for everyone to remain calm as that process or these processes play out.”
Recall that Kanyi Daily reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu announced Bola Tinubu as the winner of the poll some minutes past 4 am on Wednesday at the National Collation Centre in Abuja.
“That Tinubu Bola Ahmed of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Professor Yakubu declared in an announcement.
Not satisfied with the outcome of the election, the Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) both asked Yakubu to resign the electoral umpire boss and demanded a fresh election be conducted afresh.
They called the polls a sham and a “rape of democracy”.
