Okunniyi claimed that there are growing concerns over trading and falsifying of election results at collation centres due to “unfounded excuses from compromised” INEC officials that BVAS has suddenly stopped functioning for transmission and collation results.
He stated these in a statement on Sunday, listing Lagos and its environs as some of the areas with such rising cases.
He said, “We also frown at the ongoing disruptions of collation of election results and violence in Lagos as reports from our men and women on the field indicate infliction of violence and assault on Labour Party agents and representatives.
“Among our representatives who were inflicted with violence is a renowned political economist and Covener of the Big Tent, Prof. Pat Utomi at collation centres in Lagos with heavy sporadic shooting to prevent collation of results from the polling units, where the ruling APC lost the elections.
“We, therefore, call on the Nigerian security forces to urgently move to neutralise this ongoing thuggery and violence in most parts of Lagos, including Eti Osa, Ejigbo, Ishaga and Oshodi areas, among others, where thugs are currently having a field day assaulting and holding electoral officials and Labour Party representatives hostage.
“Intelligence report at our disposal also revealed that some INEC officials in connivance with political chieftains of the ruling parties are presently engaged in falsification of election results at the collation centres and that there are also strong plots to trade off the votes of the Labour Party and Peter Obi in some states in the South.
“INEC officials concerned in this conspiratorial falsification and merchandising are hereby warned to immediately desist from this fraudulent act in order not to incur the wrath of already frustrated masses of Nigeria.
“Finally, we wish to plead with INEC strongly to ensure that all results uploaded on their portal for collation tally with the results signed and handed over to the polling units agents of political parties at the polling units in order to prevent the present machinations of some politicians to discredit and scuttle the 2023 elections.”
