Yiaga Africa, an Election Monitoring Group, on Monday said the just concluded Edo State Governorship election failed integrity test due to lack of transparency in the results collation process, leading to result manipulation.
The group therefore called for accountability and urgent amendments of the Electoral Act to make the electronic transmission of results .
This was contained in a statement jointly signed on Monday in Benin by the Chairman of the 2024 Edo Election Mission, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, and the Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo.
Yiaga Africa said that there was the need for substantial electoral reforms in the electoral system to restore public confidence in it.
The group said that the call underscored the importance of transparency and adherence to the rules governing elections.
It demanded for the immediate investigation and prosecution of polling officials and collation officers involved in the alleged result manipulation and violations of result collation guidelines in the Edo election.
Yiaga Africa urged the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to promptly clarify inconsistencies in results from Oredo, Egor, Esan West, and other key local government areas.
“Clear communication from INEC will ensure that the public understands the integrity of the election outcomes.
“INEC must issue specific guidelines on how it exercises its powers to review questionable declarations and returns.
” These guidelines should detail procedures for submitting complaints, including who can submit, the format, and the timeframe for addressing concerns.
“The legal framework must incorporate the electronic transmission of results and the IReV system.
“This will legally solidify polling unit-level results uploaded on the portal, improving transparency and accountability, ” Yiaga Africa said.
Yiaga Africa, however, commended voters for demonstrating resilience and patience, particularly in the face of logistical issues and rain that delayed the opening of polls.
They noted that their participation in challenging circumstances deserved recognition.
According to Yiaga Africa, there were reports of interference during the collation process, including restricted access to accredited observers, casting doubt on the neutrality of some security personnel.
“Additionally, the disruption of result collation raises concerns about the effectiveness of security deployment.
“The inability to prevent these interferences indicates a need for better planning and execution in future elections, ” the group said.
“While other processes such as accreditation, voting, and counting were largely compliant, the compromised collation process significantly undermined the election’s overall integrity.” it said.