2023 Presidential Election: Datti Baba-Ahmed Labels INEC ‘Criminal’ Over 4am Declaration of Results

Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its decision to announce the outcome of the 2023 presidential election in the early hours of the morning.

Speaking during an interview monitored by PulseNets on Symfoni, Baba-Ahmed described the declaration of the presidential election results at about 4 a.m. as inappropriate, insisting that a credible electoral institution should not release such a significant national outcome at that time.

The former vice-presidential candidate questioned why many Nigerians appeared to have overlooked the controversy surrounding the announcement, recalling that the then INEC Chairman had previously indicated that the final results would be declared by 9 a.m.

Baba-Ahmed argued that the eventual announcement of the election results at 4 a.m. raised concerns about transparency and weakened public trust in the electoral process.

He also criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, whose victory was declared from the election, maintaining that it was troubling for a government to emerge from a process he believes was fundamentally flawed.

According to Baba-Ahmed:

“I keep asking why Nigerians accept everything. How can an INEC chairman assure African leaders, including former South African President Thabo Mbeki, that election results would be announced by 9 a.m., only to go ahead and announce them at 4 a.m.?

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“Who conducts such an important exercise at that hour? An electoral commission that announces election results at 4 a.m. has questions to answer. I believe that was wrong,” he said.