Exposed: INEC's Alleged Manipulation of Edo Governorship Election Results
By Wisdom Tide
September 26, 2024
Introduction: INEC Under Scrutiny
Recent revelations have brought the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under heavy criticism, with allegations that the electoral body manipulated the results of the Edo State governorship election. Evidence from INEC’s own INEC Result Viewing (IREV) platform, which was designed to ensure transparency, reveals significant discrepancies between the actual results recorded and the final outcomes announced by the electoral commission.
Discrepancies in IREV Results vs. Final Announcement
The IREV platform was introduced to promote transparency by providing real-time access to election results from polling units across the country. However, in the just-concluded Edo governorship election, there is mounting evidence that this platform was either abandoned or manipulated, leading to a result that favoured the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
According to data from IREV, the results at the polling unit level show significant variations when compared with the official results announced by INEC on September 22, 2024. These discrepancies, observers say, appear to reflect deliberate manipulation in favour of the APC.
Vote Reductions and Inflations: A Detailed Analysis
An analysis of the IREV data as of September 21, 2024, reveals glaring irregularities across multiple local government areas (LGAs) in Edo State. The most notable trend was the widespread reduction of votes for the PDP and corresponding increases for the APC.
In Akoko-Edo LGA, the IREV platform showed that the PDP had secured 20,101 votes. However, the final result announced by INEC reduced the PDP’s vote count by 21.07%, leaving them with just 15,865 votes. Meanwhile, the APC’s votes, initially recorded as 22,963 on IREV, saw a significant increase of 34.10%, reaching 34,847 votes in the final announcement.
A similar pattern was observed in Egor LGA, where the PDP’s votes were drastically slashed by 46.93%, from 27,621 votes on IREV to 14,658 in the final result. In contrast, the APC’s votes increased by 39.13%, from 10,202 to 16,760.
In Esan Central LGA, the PDP's initial votes of 10,794 were reduced by 20.16% to 8,618, while the APC's votes surged by 38.86%, from 6,719 to 10,990. This pattern of vote reductions for the PDP and vote inflations for the APC was repeated across multiple LGAs, including Esan Southeast, Esan West, Igueben, Orhionmwon, and Ovia North East, leading to widespread allegations of coordinated electoral fraud.
IREV: A Platform of Hope Abandoned?
The IREV platform was hailed as a game-changer in ensuring election transparency in Nigeria. It was expected to give citizens and political parties real-time access to the results, allowing for immediate verification and reducing the risk of tampering. However, in the case of the Edo governorship election, the abandonment or manipulation of the IREV platform has cast a shadow over the entire electoral process.
The discrepancies observed between the IREV data and the final announced results have led to growing accusations from the PDP and various civil society organizations. Many argue that INEC deliberately sidelined the IREV platform and resorted to manual manipulation of results during collation under the influence of political pressure from the APC.
PDP and Civil Society Groups Demand Accountability
In response to these irregularities, officials of the PDP, along with several civil society groups, have accused INEC of abandoning its responsibility to ensure a free and fair election. They argue that the electoral commission succumbed to pressure from the ruling APC to manipulate the outcome of the election at collation centres.
Calls for an independent investigation into the election process have intensified, with many urging INEC to provide a detailed explanation for the discrepancies observed in the IREV data and the final results. The integrity of the electoral commission and the legitimacy of the Edo governorship election hang in the balance as more evidence comes to light.
Conclusion:
A Troubling Precedent for Nigerian Democracy
The alleged manipulation of the Edo governorship election has sparked outrage across Nigeria, with many questioning the future of free and fair elections in the country. If proven true, the abandonment of the IREV platform in favour of manual result alterations would set a dangerous precedent for Nigerian democracy.
As calls for transparency grow louder, INEC must address these allegations to restore public confidence in the electoral process. The integrity of future elections depends on the commission’s ability to uphold transparency and resist external pressures to manipulate election outcomes
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