Presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar (PDP) and Peter Obi (LP) contested the victory of Bola Tinubu (APC) in the February 25 election, citing issues including the lack of real-time result transmission by INEC.

However, the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal dismissed their petitions, stating that INEC had the discretion to transmit results as it saw fit.

Chidoka, during a Sunday Politics interview on Channels Television, expressed his lack of trust in INEC, considering its failure to uphold its promise of real-time electronic transmission of results. He criticized INEC as a significant disappointment and expressed embarrassment over its association with Nigerian elections.

He said: “INEC is a monumental disgrace. INEC is an organization I am ashamed to be associated with as a Nigerian,

“This is because of the promises INEC made with the Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun [governorship] elections.

“I came on this programme and called for third-party verification of the INEC system so that we are sure that on election day, what is going to happen that day would not lead to a glitch. On election day, INEC said there was a glitch.”

Speaking further, Chidoka stated that despite INEC’s inability to test the election results portal on a large scale, the electoral body’s defense at the tribunal was disappointing.

The former minister said the failure of the electoral agency to conduct a free and fair election paints the country badly in the comity of nations.

He said: “Despite not testing the system, it is a shame that INEC went to court to argue that not complying with its regulation does not make it a ground to cancel an election.

“As far as I’m concerned, INEC’s struggle with such an issue paints the country badly in the comity of nations. I wonder why Nigeria cannot emulate countries like India and Indonesia, which have large populations but conduct better polls.”