A coalition of 25 observer groups expressed discontent on Wednesday regarding the collation process of the recent Edo State governorship election, asserting that it failed to meet the standards set by the Electoral Act of 2022.
The groups acknowledged that while they were satisfied with results from over 4,500 polling units, they rejected the final results collated at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Benin City, citing legal violations.
In a statement signed by representatives including Mrs. Rose Akhigbe and Comrade Peter Nwokolo, the groups declared their rejection of the results announced for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
They highlighted discrepancies in result sheets, claiming that two different sets were used—one for field reporting and another allegedly favoring the APC in certain regions.
The observers raised serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process, reporting incidents of military and police interference during the collation of results.
They noted intimidation tactics directed at INEC officials that contradicted both the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines. The statement emphasized that these actions compromised the credibility of the election results.
The groups firmly stated, “We totally reject the result of the election,” pointing to a pattern of militarization and impunity observed at various collation centers. They called for accountability from INEC, military, and police forces for their roles in undermining the electoral process.
