The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted presidential and national assembly elections across Nigeria on Saturday.
While the elections went smoothly in most parts of the country, a few areas experienced difficulty.
EDITOR’S PICKS
On Saturday evening, a statement went viral on WhatsApp claiming that INEC had extended the voting period for the presidential and national assembly elections in 16 states.
According to the statement, INEC made the decision to extend the election to Sunday, February 26, due to violence experienced in some areas, and the late arrival of election materials in other locations.
The statement identified affected states as Lagos (Surulere, Ikate, Okota, Eti-Osa, Kosofe and Oshodi), FCT, Ebonyi, Rivers, Imo, Anambra, Kano and Edo.
Others are Delta, Kogi, Bayelsa, Enugu, Sokoto, Taraba, Abia, and, Ekiti.
However, checks by Eko Hot Blog revealed that the statement did not emanate from INEC.
In a post on Twitter, INEC chairman’s spokesperson, Rotimi Oyekanmi, confirmed that the statement was fake.
Oyekanmi, who noted that that the commission had extended voting time in some areas, urged Nigerians to disregard the viral message.
“INEC did not extend the voting period in 16 States. The story below is fake and should be disregarded,” he said.
“An extension of time was granted to voters in areas where PUs did not open at 8.30 am. Voters on the queue before 2.30 pm are then allowed beyond the 2.30 pm stoppage time.”
INEC did not extend the voting period in 16 States. The story below is fake and should be disregarded.
An extension of time was granted voters in areas where PUs did not open at 8.30am. Voters on the queue before 2.30pm are then allowed beyond the 2.30pm stoppage time. pic.twitter.com/Ave5dz7n9f
— Rotimi L Oyekanmi (@rot1930) February 25, 2023
While INEC has debunked the news of extension in 16 states, it did earlier suspend elections in 141 polling units in Bayelsa state till Sunday morning.
FURTHER READING
The INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, said the exercise was postponed in the affected polling units because the voting process was disrupted.
Click to watch our video of the week
Advertise or Publish a Story on EkoHot Blog:
Kindly contact us at [email protected]. Breaking stories should be sent to the above email and substantiated with pictorial evidence.
Citizen journalists will receive a token as data incentive.
Call or Whatsapp: 0803 561 7233, 0703 414 5611
