By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – YIAGA AFRICA said it currently has a stable estimated range for the election outcome of the two leading Presidential candidates, Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar but reminded that it is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that has the mandate to announce results.
The group also informed that “based on currently received observer reports, there will be no run-off for the Presidential elections because a clear winner will emerge.
YIAGA AFRICA dropped the hint on Monday while sharing its preliminary report with newsmen in Abuja.
It therefore enjoined citizens to remain calm and maintain the peace as INEC collates the results, stressing that YIAGA AFRICA will convene a press conference to share its own statement on the accuracy of the election results as soon as INEC announces the official results.
YIAGA AFRICA undertook the Watching The Vote project to provide Nigerian citizens, presidential candidates, political parties, civil society and INEC with independent information about whether the official results for the February 23, 2019 presidential election truly reflect the ballots cast at polling units.
The YIAGA AFRICA Watching The Vote (WTV) is “Driven by Data – For All Nigerians – Beholden to None!”. On 23 February, 2019, YIAGA AFRICA deployed 3,906 observers throughout the country including 3,030 Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) observers who deployed in pairs to a random, representative statistical sample of 1,515 polling units where they remained throughout the day.
With this methodology, YIAGA AFRICA is able independently verify the accuracy of the official presidential election results announced by INEC.
YIAGA AFRICA assures the Nigerian people and stakeholders that, it has received and processed its data from the sampled polling units.
In the turnout for the election, YIAGA AFRICA’s preliminary estimates indicate that turnout for the February 23 Presidential Elections is between 36% and 40% based on official turnout figures collected from the PVT’s representative statistical sample of polling units across the 774 LGAs in the country.
According to YIAGA AFRICA, “If INEC’s official turnout falls within WTV’s estimated range, then it accurately reflects the ballots cast at polling units.
The group however, urged all stakeholders to respect the commission’s constitutional power and refrain from declaring election results.
YIAGA AFRICA promised it would continue to continue to monitor the results collation until the final completion.
