The controversies bothering on wide spread rigging and institutional manipulation of the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, were again, brought to the fore on Friday when the Chancellor of the Athena Centre, Osita Chidoka, revealed his organisation’s finding about the exercise.
The Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, a non-profit organization advocating for transparent governance, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of significantly compromising the integrity of the electoral process.
Chidoka made the revelation when he appeared on the prime time programme on Channels TV, Politics Today, anchored by Seun Okinbaloye and monitored by our Correspondent in Lagos on Friday evening.
INEC declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, winner with 291,667 votes, narrowly defeating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr Asue Ighodalo, who received 247,274 votes.
However, according to the Athena Centre, these results are riddled with inconsistencies, raising questions about their credibility.
Speaking during the program, Chidoka described the irregularities as “overwhelming” and indicative of systemic rigging. His claims and assertions have reinforced similar views expressed by sundry groups on the election, which variously indicted the umpire. They have also questioned the conduct, integrity and reliability of INEC in administering free and fair elections in the country with former President Olusegun Obasanjo calling for the immediate replacement of Prof Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman.
According to Chidoka, “The evidence of systemic rigging observed in this election is so substantial that we cannot call the results credible,” Chidoka declared. He pointed to multiple lapses that undermined the election’s integrity, including over voting, manipulations at ward collation centres, and discrepancies in the transmission of results.”
One of the key issues highlighted was INEC’s failure to upload BVAS accreditation records to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) as mandated. This lapse, Chidoka argued, significantly impeded transparency and public trust in the process. “The inability to transmit real-time accreditation data casts a long shadow over the entire exercise,” he noted.
Chidoka also revealed that results from 153 polling units were unaccounted for. These missing results, he claimed, represent a glaring gap that undermines the validity of the declared outcome. According to the Athena Centre’s analysis, this discrepancy alone could alter the election’s trajectory.
Other allegations included the manipulation of results at ward collation centres. Chidoka described incidents where party agents and officials were allegedly coerced into altering figures, further eroding the credibility of the final tallies. The Centre’s findings suggest a pattern of malpractice that goes beyond isolated incidents, indicating an orchestrated effort to influence the outcome.
The Centre’s report also criticized INEC for a lack of adequate oversight and accountability mechanisms during the electoral process. Chidoka stressed that the commission’s actions and inactions significantly undermined the principles of democracy. He called for a comprehensive audit of the electoral process to identify and address systemic flaws.
The former minister, who also announced his decision to resign from partisan politics, emphasized the importance of evidence-based governance and systemic change. “Nigeria’s democratic institutions must be built on trust, accountability, and the unwavering commitment to the rule of law,” he asserted. He pledged to work with Nigerians who share his vision for a more transparent and equitable political system.
The Athena Centre’s findings have amplified calls for a review of INEC’s processes and the implementation of measures to ensure transparency in future elections. Stakeholders, including civil society organizations and political analysts, have urged the federal government to address these concerns urgently.
This controversy comes at a critical time for Nigeria, as the country prepares for upcoming elections. The allegations against INEC have raised fears about the potential for similar irregularities in future polls, further straining public confidence in the electoral system.
