2023 Election: Oyo NNPP reps candidates fume over omission of party logo on ballot paper by INEC

….call for cancellation of election

New Nigeria People’s Party Candidates representing Oluyole Federal constituency, Ido/Ibarapa East federal constituency, Ogo- Oluwa/Surulere Ogooluwa federal constituency and Ibadan Northwest / Southwest federal constituency has called for the cancellation of their constituencies elections over allegation laid against Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on missing of the party logo and the party symbol on the ballot paper which was different from the symbol specimen used in sensitizing electorate during electioneering and other irregularities that occured during the process which affected the outcome of the election for the party.

The allegations which was raised to discredit the federal constituency and presidential elections at their constituencies.

The affected candidates that laid allegation against INEC are: Hon. Aderonke Ramat Adedoja from Oluyole federal constituency, Hon. Prince Nureni Adesina Salam from Ido/Ibarapa East federal constituency, Elder Abioye Mathew Adegboyega from Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere and Hon. Akande Morounfolu from Ibadan Northwest/Ibadan Southwest federal constituency.

While Addressing journalist after the announcement of the result at INEC office, Hon. Aderonke Ramat Adedoja from Oluyole federal constituency who speak on behalf of the affected candidates alleged that the missing party logo and the different symbol of the party which was omitted by INEC affected the chances of the party at the poll.

She further faulted INEC on it failure to make adequate provision of party agent cards which disallowed the party agent to be accredited which caused the party faithful disappointed and could not exercise their civic responsibilities and make them cast their vote for other parties.

Hon.Aderonke Ramat Adedoja added that “We the candidates of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) that contested in the last Saturday Presidential/National Assembly Elections.

“We call this press conference to address some irregularities we observed during the conduct of the election.

“Under Section 79 one of the New 2022 Electoral Act clearly empowered the INEC to register symbols and names of the political parties to be use on election day.

“However, we were surprised that when election commenced on Saturday the name of our party NNPP and its logo symbol was very fainted, very blurry to the extent that it was very difficult for the voters and our supporters to identify on the ballot paper provided for the conduct of both the Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

“The party name and the logo provided on the ballot paper was clearly omitted a d it was quite difficult, different from the symbol specimen that we have been using to sensitize electorate during the campaign exercise.

“Similarly, we equally observed that the INEC failed to make adequate enough provision of party agent cards for identification purpose for our agents and this make it difficult for our agents to raise this observation for the INEC officials since they were not allowed to move closer to the polling unit without any form of identification for that purpose as a result of this many of voters felt disappointed and could not exercise their civic responsibilities which many cast their votes for another party or actually just decided to go home.

“Hence, about 80 percent of our voters affected which for the reason for outcome of the election announced by the INEC in our respective constituencies.

“We are hereby using this medium to call on the state INEC to cancel the election in Oyo state and correct the error as pointed out above in the interest of free, fair and credible election provided by the process, she said.