Afrigather Not too long ago, the Chairman of the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) claimed in Akure, Ondo State, that the fee had discovered classes from the September 21 Edo governorship election. Nonetheless, the teachings INEC appears to have discovered are complicity and institutionalised rigging. INEC has been indicted, with forensic specialists alleging fraud within the Edo election outcomes, elevating issues concerning the integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 elections.
Martins Obono, the Govt Director of the TAP Initiative, declared on November 1, 2024, that INEC was not solely complicit however actively concerned in rigging the Edo election. Showing on Come up Tv’s Morning Present, Obono offered what he described as “damning, incontrovertible proof” of INEC’s position in a conspiracy that threatens Nigeria’s electoral basis.
Obono detailed obvious discrepancies between the Licensed True Copies (CTCs) of polling unit outcomes issued by INEC and the paperwork uploaded to INEC’s IREV outcome portal. He said that the investigation uncovered that INEC appeared to have produced a “shadow set” of outcome sheets to switch the genuine ones. Regardless of bearing an identical serial numbers, the IREV outcomes had been signed by totally different social gathering brokers, whereas INEC’s CTCs had been mysteriously unsigned.
The TAP Initiative enlisted a world-renowned forensic handwriting skilled, whose experience is acknowledged by establishments just like the Nelson Mandela Basis, to look at the CTCs. The skilled confirmed that many CTCs had been stuffed out by a single particular person, revealing that outcomes had been cast. Obono emphasised that such actions undermine belief in Nigeria’s democratic establishments, stressing that the manipulation was not simply electoral fraud however a case of institutionalised rigging.
For years, rogue actors inside political events had been suspected of electoral malpractice. Nonetheless, Obono’s findings counsel that INEC itself—the physique tasked with safeguarding democracy—has turn into complicit in subverting it. He referred to as on the Impartial Corrupt Practices Fee (ICPC) to research the matter totally and convey all conspirators to justice.
Obono additionally accused INEC of widespread over-voting, outcome manipulation, and systematic forgery of CTC outcome sheets. “We’ve got been monitoring elections since 2003. That is the primary time now we have seen the electoral umpire itself as the principle perpetrator,” he lamented. The TAP Initiative vowed to pursue justice, declaring that Nigeria’s democracy is dependent upon the integrity of its establishments and that INEC should be held accountable.
The 2024 Edo election and its flawed outcome collation course of pose important threats to future elections in Nigeria, together with Ondo’s forthcoming election and the 2027 common elections. Over 25 election observer teams described the Edo election as one of many worst in Nigeria’s post-2007 period, citing rampant outcome manipulation, police intimidation, and the exclusion of social gathering brokers and observers throughout collation at native authorities ranges.
The credibility of INEC’s IREV portal has been severely undermined. The outcomes introduced by INEC differed considerably from these uploaded to IREV, casting doubt on its reliability. Many Nigerians are questioning the large investments in INEC, which proceed to yield unfavourable outcomes. The 2024 Edo election has discredited IREV and left INEC unable to defend its outcomes convincingly.
The conduct of the Edo election lacked credibility, particularly on the native authorities collation degree, which was worse than the controversial June 12, 1993, election held below army rule. The late Basic Sani Abacha, who annulled that historic election, would doubtless be dismayed by the regression displayed in Edo 2024.
On this election, the outcomes introduced by INEC didn’t align with the unit outcomes uploaded to IREV. Moreover, social gathering brokers and observers had been excluded from witnessing collation processes at some wards and native authorities ranges. Experiences counsel that a number of governors of the ruling social gathering relocated to Benin Metropolis to govern the electoral course of in violation of INEC tips and the Electoral Act of 2022.
Over 25 accredited home observers who monitored the election rejected the outcomes declared by INEC. Whereas they acknowledged transparency at over 4,500 polling items, they rejected the outcomes from some wards and native governments, citing violations of the Electoral Act. They alleged the existence of two units of outcome sheets—one for the sector and one other manipulated model for collation at INEC’s workplace in Benin Metropolis.
INEC, alongside the army and police, violated the Electoral Act’s provisions concerning outcome collation. Outcomes had been collated solely at items and choose wards, leaving the integrity of the collation course of unsure. This systemic failure within the Edo election undermines public belief and raises alarm concerning the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral future.
Inwalomhe Donald writes through [email protected].
