The Edo State governorship election has sparked widespread criticism from civil society organizations (CSOs), politicians, and other stakeholders, raising serious concerns about the credibility of the electoral process. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is at the center of this controversy, accused of various forms of misconduct and procedural lapses.
Civil society groups, including YIAGA Africa, have been vocal about their dissatisfaction with INEC's handling of the election. Samson Itodo, Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, pointed out significant issues during the collation of results. "There is a regression in the quality of our results management process," Itodo remarked. He added that "old tactics of election manipulation are resurfacing, and that is really sad." Reports indicated that INEC officials and observers were tear-gassed and intimidated during the collation, and results were sometimes collated in locations not designated by electoral guidelines, undermining the credibility of the process.
Political figures have also weighed in on the matter. Otunba Segun Showunmi, a former governorship aspirant of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, criticized the electoral process, describing elections as a referendum on the ruling party's performance and the opposition's effectiveness. "It is now clear that political leaders own the suffrage of their people at the grassroots. It is also clear that social media rants do not translate to boots on the ground," Showunmi stated. He encouraged the PDP's candidate, Asue Ighodalo, to remain committed despite the outcome, emphasizing that "the tribunals will unravel the truth, for we cannot continue to have elections with queried integrity."
Patience Key, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) gubernatorial candidate, questioned the authenticity of the results, arguing that they did not reflect the true will of the people. "The communities that I went to, people want something different," she said. Key expressed frustration over reports of vote-buying, where voters allegedly sold their votes for sums as low as ₦10,000. "If you take ₦10,000 to change your vote, it now becomes your will to continue in impoverishment," she lamented.
Jake Epelle, CEO of TAF Africa, criticized the logistical issues that plagued the election, particularly INEC's reliance on ineffective transportation unions. "We keep having this logistical problem," Epelle said, adding that only about 45% of the electoral process was satisfactorily executed. He also pointed out that the highest bidders seemed to dominate the election, with both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and PDP being heavily involved in electoral misconduct.
The fallout from the Edo election reflects a broader dissatisfaction with Nigeria's electoral system. Despite promises of reform, issues such as vote-buying, result manipulation, and logistical inefficiencies continue to undermine the democratic process. As Showunmi noted, "We cannot keep learning painful election lessons because we simply refuse to accept what is glaring."
Comments