Edo: APC slams Yiaga Africa over election result manipulation claim

The All Progressive Congress Party (APC) has said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is the sole statutory authority for the conduct and declaration of result of election.

According to the statement released by the Party Spokesman, Felix Morka on Tuesday while stating further that Yiaga Africa is not, and must desist from constituting itself into, a parallel agency for the declaration of election result.

The party said, Yiaga Africa, one of the many civil society organizations accredited by the INEC, is overreaching its election observer mission to second-guess INEC on the result of last Saturday’s Edo state gubernatorial election.
The Yiaga Africa alleged that results were manipulated without hard facts and figures but based on some statistical guess work is a clear disservice to the electoral process.

The Party while reacting to this allegation further said that the civil society’s report is a travesty, stating that the report replete with methodological flaws, politicized observations, inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and called its credibility into question.

APC noted that 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 result or second guessing result declared by INEC in performance of its statutory duties, falls beyond their observation mandate”.

The Party added, “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”.

APC urged Yiaga Africa to refrain from enlisting itself in the season’s annals of infamy, alongside the likes of Governor Godwin Obaseki, his illegal, 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 reiterated its immense appreciation to President Bola 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.

The Party said, “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 Party stated.