Election observers have expressed concerns about the transparency of the 2024 Edo State governorship election, with particular focus on the results collation process. A coalition of civil society groups, including the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, Yiaga Africa, Kimpact Development Initiative, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, ElectHER, and TAF Africa, issued a joint statement addressing the irregularities observed during the collation.
The statement highlighted disruptions at ward and local government collation centers, citing incidents of intimidation of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and attempts to collate results in contravention of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines. These violations, according to the coalition, raise significant concerns about the credibility of the results collation process. The coalition urged INEC to leverage its authority under Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022 to review any results declared involuntarily or those that violated electoral regulations.
Furthermore, the observer groups called for a clear delineation of roles for security agencies, insisting that their function should be to safeguard the integrity of the process rather than create conditions that undermine transparency. They stressed that accredited party agents, the media, and election observers must have full access to collation centers to ensure transparency.
Despite these concerns, the collation of results has continued, with the APC candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, maintaining a lead over his opponents. According to INEC’s official figures, Okpebholo has so far garnered 275,329 votes, while the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, trails with 220,892 votes. Olumide Akpata, representing the Labour Party (LP), has received 18,737 votes.
A major development during the collation process occurred in Oredo Local Government Area, where Governor Godwin Obaseki, leader of the PDP in Edo State, lost his stronghold to Okpebholo. INEC announced that Okpebholo secured 30,780 votes in Oredo, while Ighodalo garnered 24,938, and Akpata received 5,389 votes. This loss in Obaseki’s local government was a significant blow to the PDP campaign, as Oredo was expected to be a key base of support for Ighodalo.
As the collation continues, results from 17 out of the 18 local government areas have been announced, with only the result from Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area still pending. In total, Okpebholo leads Ighodalo by a margin of 54,437 votes. This significant gap has placed Okpebholo in a favorable position to win the election, though final results are yet to be declared.
The election observer coalition continues to monitor the situation closely and has emphasized the importance of a transparent and credible electoral process. They have urged INEC to investigate reports of result mutilation and take corrective actions where necessary. The observers also called on security agencies to uphold their role in maintaining the integrity of the election and ensuring that the process remains fair and transparent.
With the collation nearing completion, all eyes remain on INEC as it prepares to announce the final results, which will determine the next governor of Edo State.
Sources
- https://punchng.com/edodecides2024-election-observers-express-concern-over-transparency/?amp
- https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/737409-edodecides2024-coalition-worries-over-transparency-of-result-collation-by-inec.html
