Former Labour Party vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has strongly criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the timing of the announcement of the 2023 presidential election results.

Speaking during an interview on Symfoni, Baba-Ahmed described INEC as “criminal” for announcing the election result at about 4am, insisting that such a process was unacceptable for a democratic system.

He questioned the integrity of the electoral process, alleging inconsistency between earlier assurances and the eventual timing of the announcement.

According to him, INEC officials had reportedly assured African leaders, including Thabo Mbeki, that the results would be announced by 9am, but later released them in the early hours of the morning instead.

Baba-Ahmed argued that such actions raise serious concerns about transparency and credibility in the electoral process.

He also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s emergence as president, claiming the current administration was the product of what he described as a flawed electoral process.

The former vice presidential candidate further questioned the legitimacy of announcing election results at 4am, insisting that such timing undermines public trust in democratic institutions.