A coalition of accredited civil society organizations has rejected the results of the Edo governorship election held on September 21, citing significant concerns about the election’s transparency and integrity.
The coalition, which includes prominent groups like the Advocacy for Quality Leadership and Health Awareness Foundation and the Grassroot Development and Peace Initiative, criticized the collation of results at the ward and local government levels by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Despite expressing satisfaction with the results from over 4,500 polling units, the CSOs claimed that INEC’s actions during the collation process violated the Electoral Act 2022.
According to the coalition, the result sheets used in the collation process were inconsistent, with one set allegedly favoring the All Progressive Congress (APC) in certain regions. This discrepancy raised alarms about possible manipulation of the election outcome.
The civil society groups also pointed to the involvement of military and police personnel in the collation process, accusing them of disrupting the proceedings and intimidating INEC officials. This militarization, they argue, undermined the credibility of the entire election.
In a statement signed by coordinators including Mrs. Rose Akhigbe and Comrade Peter Nwokolo, the coalition firmly rejected the election results, which declared APC’s candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, as the winner. They emphasized that results were only partially collated before security forces intervened.
The coalition is now calling for a comprehensive review of the electoral process to restore public trust in Nigeria’s democracy. Their ranks include a diverse array of organizations committed to upholding democratic values and ensuring transparency in the electoral system.
