The Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) has released a detailed report alleging widespread irregularities in the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election, which declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, as the winner.
The report accused the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of manipulating the election through voter suppression, falsification of results, and disruptions during collation. It particularly highlighted irregularities in Etsako West Local Government Area, where the APC was declared to have won 32,107 votes against the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 17,483 votes.
FIJ alleged that the collation results from the area were labelled as a “Replacement Copy” and lacked INEC’s official stamp. The report also claimed that the collation process at Auchi Council Hall was interrupted by gunfire, leading to the loss of critical electoral documents.
Despite the mandated use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for electronic result transmission, FIJ reported that many polling units failed to comply, with results collated manually in some areas, creating opportunities for tampering.
The PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, described the election as “the worst in the history of this country,” accusing INEC and the police of colluding with the APC to rig the results. The PDP has since filed a legal petition, citing non-compliance with the Electoral Act and widespread irregularities.
Meanwhile, both the APC and INEC have denied all allegations, maintaining the credibility of the electoral process.
