By Chris Nomjov
In a very dramatic scene played out at the INEC International Conference Centre, Godsday Orubebe, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and representative of President Goodluck Jonathan at the national collation centre in Abuja, has announced the party’s rejection of the results being announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking at the International Conference Centre as the announcement of results was about to start on Tuesday, Orubebe said the commission’s chairman, Attahiru Jega, was biased and that he would not allow the results to be announced. He said he was already in possession of a full printed result on the website of the opposition party when PDP’s grievances were yet to be addressed.
Orubebe, who was minister of Niger Delta affairs under Jonathan, noted that when the All Progressives Congress (APC) raised issues about the results in Rivers state, Jega set up a committee to look into it.
“We have raised issues about results in Kano, in Kaduna, Jigawa and Katsina and yet you have done nothing about it. You are biased. You are partial. You are tribalistic,” he said at the top of his voice. Orubebe said Jega should go to back to his office and address the issues raised by PDP, effectively disrupting further announcement of the results.
PDP has been observing with pains the manner you have been handling some issues?,” he said to Jega. “We are beginning to see that you are partial and tribalistic. “The PDP has lost confidence in what you are doing. We have lost confidence in you because you partial and selective.”
Responding, the INEC chairman explained that he did not receive any petition from the PDP, stating that the party through one of its agents, Bello Fadile, had tried to submit a petition to him on Monday while collation was going on, but he rejected it owing to the reason that it did not follow the right channel.
On the allegation of colluding with the APC to falsify results?, Jega simply said: “I do not give results to anybody.” “I have not given anybody any result and I have not seen any result.” The announcements of results continued after the drama.
