Edo election: APC tackles Yiaga Africa for protesting against result

CYRIL MBAH, Abuja

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reminded civil society organisations, especially election observers, that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) still remains the sole body and statutory authority empowered to conduct elections and also declare the results of any polls in the country.

The ruling party berated Yiaga Africa, an election observer agency, for protesting the outcome of the Edo election, warning the group to desist from constituting itself into a parallel body for the declaration of election results.

National Publicity Secretary, of the party, Barrister Felix Morka said in a statement that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will require Yiaga Africa to provide proof that results were manipulated in favour of APC during the election.

APC accused Yiaga Africa, one of the many civil society organizations accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), of over-reaching its election observer mission to second-guess INEC on the result of last Saturday’s Edo state gubernatorial election in its jostle for headline attention.

The party pointed out that without hard facts and figures to back the allegations, it would be wrong for anyone to make wild claims based on some statistical guess work as doing so would amount to a clear disservice to the electoral process. The statement declared that “Yiaga Africa’s report is a travesty, replete with methodological flaws, politicized observations, clear inconsistencies, inaccuracies, which called its credibility into question.

“Election observer missions are not election management agencies and cannot usurp INEC’s statutory authority as the sole election management body in Nigeria. Doing so would constitute a clear breach of the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“While election observer missions, like Yiaga Africa, are at liberty to share their observations about the election process with INEC and the general public, however, declaring election results or second guessing result declared by INEC in performance of its statutory duties, falls beyond their observation mandate.

“Declaring or second-guessing the Edo state gubernatorial result based on unsubstantiated, unverified, highly questionable statistical parameters created by Yiaga Africa for Yiaga Africa is designed to create unnecessary confusion and the appearance of a parallel election process.

“We urge Yiaga Africa to refrain from enlisting itself in the season’s annals of infamy, alongside the likes of Governor Godwin Obaseki and his illegal and sinister midnight invasion of INEC’s offices, and Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s illegal declaration of bogus election result.

“The election’s outcome is an unequivocal rejection of the Obaseki administration’s bad governance and endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visionary policies, which are transforming Nigeria’s economic landscape, strengthening security, and promoting good governance.

“The APC reiterates its immense appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration for ensuring a level playing field, to INEC for its professionalism, and to law enforcement agencies for their diligence and service during the election.

“By their votes, the good people of Edo State were loud and clear in their choice of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the next Governor to lead the state into a new era of peace, unity, people-centered development and prosperity for all.

“Any disputes, contestations or questions about the election may now be submitted to the courts for adjudication in line with electoral and constitutional norms and recourse mechanisms,” the statement concluded.

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