Edo election: KDI decries 6.04% inflation in results declared by INEC

Edo election: KDI decries 6.04% inflation in results declared by INEC

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja 

Following the conclusion of Edo State off-cycle governorship election which took place last weekend, the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), has raised concerns about the integrity of the result management process, with a 6.04% inflation in the results declared by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The difference was revealed by KDI’s analysis of the data uploaded to the IReV platform using the Ballot Integrity Project (BIP) methodology.

In an 8-page statement sighted by National Periscope, KDI noted that this discrepancy casts serious doubt on the transparency and credibility of the collation process.

Recall that the APC’s Okpebholo was declared winner of the election by INEC on Sunday, having scored 291,667 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Asue Ighodalo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who came second with 247,274 votes in a keenly contested election.

Reacting to the development, KDI noted that while the election was generally peaceful, with no fatalities recorded, there were some significant challenges that impacted the process. These included late commencement of polls due to logistical challenges, adverse weather conditions, and widespread vote buying.

According to the report, examination of Form EC8A on IREV reveals distinct instances of over voting in more than 300 polling units across 14 local government areas. 

The organization also noted that there are instances in which the number of voters exceeded the total number of accredited voters and  urged INEC to investigate whether these discrepancies were intentional or merely arithmetic errors made by the polling officials.

“Our BIP analysis shows a 6.04% inflation in the results declared by INEC. Ideally, results should either decrease during the collation process-due to cancellations prompted by issues like violence or BVAS bypasses-or remain consistent if no such cancellations occurred. 

“However, we noticed an increase or addition in the number of votes in some collation centers. This discrepancy casts serious doubt on the transparency and credibility of the collation process.

“Moreover, while all 18 LGA Returning Officers and Electoral Officers (EOs) reported no cancellations during the state-level collation, our analysis shows that at least 22 polling units had Form EC40G uploaded on IReV, indicating disruptions or BVAS-related issues. The Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected in these polling units exceed the margin of lead based on the IReV-collated results, raising concerns about the accuracy of the declared outcome.

“This indicates a high likelihood of a supplementary election in the 2024 Edo state governorship elections if PU results on IREV were consistent with what was declared.

“Additionally, INEC stated that 604,132 voters were accredited, yielding 570,690 valid votes and 13,275 rejected ballots, resulting in a total of 583,965 votes cast. This leads to a discrepancy of 20,167 accredited voters whose 3votes were omitted from both the valid and rejected vote classifications. If no votes were canceled, as reported by INEC returning officials from LGAs, this raises a pertinent question: Where are the 20,167 missing votes?,” KDI queried.

The report also decried what it described as the usual rituals at the collation centers, where stakeholders’ frequently raised concerns, are often met with the standard response: “Point noted’, with no administrative steps taken to assess the merit or demerit of the concerns. 

“This has been an observable trend from previous elections and the election in Edo State, despite Section 65 of the Electoral Act empowering INEC to review election results within seven days of their announcement. Additionally, INEC’S own 2022 Guidelines and Regulations for the Conduct of Elections (Section 99) expounds this administrative power,” the report noted.

The statement further raised concerns about widespread vote buying, which was observed across all three senatorial districts. It noted that inducements ranged from N1,000 to N10,000 in cash and material incentives, undermining the credibility of the election.

“Despite our earlier warning about the ongoing issue of vote trading, KDI has observed that little was done to curb or abate this widespread electoral malpractice which is now pervasive in Nigeria’s electoral space.

“Politicians continue to refine their approaches to vote buying, with vote trading transpiring both plainly and discreetly during the 2024 Edo State Governorship election day across all local government areas of the state. 

“In Ward 7, PU 9 -Aiyegunle, by Chief Aliu’s Compund (Akoko Edo LGA), money was exchanged openly, with reports of a political party distributing NI0,000 to voters without restraint. In Ward 12 (orhionmwon LGA), vote trading was blatant, with APC and PDP engaging in this practice–buying votes with a minimum fee of N5,000 and as high as N10,000. In Ward 7, PU 16 (Esan West LGA), political parties were said to have paid up to N12,000 to Voters,” the reported added.

Also, KDI’s EDDR recorded isolated actions taken by security agents to deter vote trading.

“For instance, officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested a vote buyer in Ward 5, PU 37 (Oredo LGA), and some political party supporters were apprehended in Ikpoba Okha LGA for engaging in vote buying. In lguobazuwa East, PU 1 (Ovia South West LGA), security personnel were called in to resolve a dispute over allegations that a political party supporters was distributing N5,000 per vote.

“More egregious cases of vote trading were documented in Ward 1, PU 9 (Ovia South West LGA), where vote buying occurred, and in Ward 6, PU 6 (Ovia North East LGA), which saw a well organized vote trading. Blatant instances were recorded in Ward 5, PU 18 19, as well as Ward 6, PU 14 of Ovia Southwest. lkpoba Okha LGA saw widespread vote trading, with party agents offering refreshments and distributing materials such as pasta to sway voters. 

“Several other incidents of vote trading were recorded across Uhunmwonde, where voters were paid as little as N1,000 in some polling units, indicating the pervasive nature of this problem. These developments underscore the ongoing challenge of vote trading in Nigerian elections, threatening the integrity of the electoral process,” KDI said.

In terms of electoral violence, the statement revealed that KDI received over 1,247 reports via calls and messages through its EDDR, with 17 directly involving incidents of electoral violence. The report noted that ballot box snatching was particularly prevalent in Ward 10, PU 7 and Egor LGA.

The election observer concluded that there is an urgent need for stricter enforcement of electoral laws and the pivotal role of security agents in safeguarding the integrity of the voting process. 

The organization urged INEC to thoroughly examine the quality of training provided to ad-hoc staff and to investigate any potential instances of sabotage within the process.