Stakeholders have again called for the review of the just-concluded Edo Governorship election, saying several unwholesome acts undermined the integrity of the election.
This was the position of Yiaga Africa and the Justice Development and Peace Centre (JDPC) Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City on Thursday.
Speaking in Benin on the post-election statement on the September 2024 Edo Governorship election entitled, “Edo State Governorship Election Fails the Integrity Test/Standards,” Dr. Aisha Abdullahi and Samson Itodo, Chair of the 2024 Edo Election and Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, respectively, expressed worry over the inconsistencies in the Edo State Governorship election results.
The duo maintained that there is an urgent need for political actors to change their attitude towards politics and stressed the need for fundamental electoral reform to restore public confidence in the electoral process.
Aisha Abdullahi of Yiaga Africa identified a lack of transparency in the results collation process, adding that this development led to the manipulation of results.
“While key processes such as accreditation, voting, counting, and recording of results at the polling unit substantially complied with procedures, the results collation process was compromised by the actions of some biassed INEC officials in connivance with other actors. This manipulation severely undermines the overall integrity of the election,” Aisha said.
On his part, Rev. Fr. Benedict Onwugbenu, Director of JDPC for the Benin Archdiocese, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to go back and review the Edo Governorship election outcome. JDPC, which stands for Justice, Development, and Peace Commission, is a Catholic organisation dedicated to promoting social justice, development, and peace.