Spokesman for the Atiku/Okowa presidential campaign organisation, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, has dissuaded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from putting logistics in place for a run-off in the 2023 presidential election, saying the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Atiku Abubakar, will be elected on the first ballot.
The campaign organisation was reacting to INEC’s declaration that it was also preparing for a presidential run-off by printing extra 93.5 million ballot papers.
The commission’s spokesman, Mr. Festus Okoye, had stated at a roundtable with senior journalists in Abuja that 93.5 million ballot papers would be used for the presidential election on February 25, 2023 and the remaining 93.5 million would be reserved for a possible run-off if there was no clear winner
“Because of the limited time on the commission and by the law, in case a candidate does not emerge from the first ballot, the commission prints ballots for run-off or second elections when we are printing ballots for the main election.
“In other words, if 93 million Nigerians are on the ballot for the presidential election, we will print 93 million ballots for the first election and at the same time print 93 million ballots for the run-off election in case a winner does not emerge from the first ballot.
“If at the end of the day, there is no run-off and when election petitions are disposed of, the commission will destroy the 93 million ballot papers printed for the run-off. This is because the law gives the commission just 21 days within which to engage in reverse logistics and conduct a run-off election in case there is no winner.
“Moreover, as of the time of the conduct of the presidential election, the governorship and state Assembly elections are still pending. So for the governorship election, the commission will print ballot papers for the run-off in case we have challenges in terms of winners not emerging in the first ballot in some of the states of the federation,” Okoye said.
However, Ologbondiyan told INEC in a statement yesterday not to listen to diversionary narratives by apologists of the deflated All Progressives Congress (APC) who are ostensibly seeking ways to derail the election, having realized that their Party has been rejected.
“The campaign urges INEC to deploy its resources towards conducting a free, fair, transparent and credible election that will be generally accepted by majority of Nigerians.
“Our campaign is confident that by every indices and data available, our Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, will win the Presidential election of February 25, 2023 at the first run.
“The APC has seen defeat ahead as Nigerians are quickly reaching a consensus on the fact that the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is not electable.
“We urge Nigerians to remain resolute in their determination to vote in their choice, Atiku Abubakar, and take every step necessary within the ambit of the law to protect their votes,” he said.
