By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
Yiaga Africa, an accredited election observer, has criticized the Edo State governorship election, claiming widespread manipulation in the results announced by INEC.
According to a statement co-signed by Dr. Aisha Abdullahi and Samson Itodo, the poll failed the integrity test due to disruptions during result collation in areas like Ikpoba/Okha, Etsako West, Egor, and Oredo LGAs.
The observer group deployed its Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology, and findings indicated that results from some LGAs, especially for the APC and PDP, fell outside the projected estimates. “These inconsistencies indicate that the results were altered at the level of collation,” Yiaga Africa noted.
Despite challenges, they commended the resilience of voters, though only 22.4% turnout was recorded. Yiaga Africa condemned the actions of biased INEC officials and security personnel for undermining the electoral process.
Source: Informant Online
