PRESS STATEMENT ON THE AFTERMATH OF EDO 2024 GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION ISSUED ON THE 26TH OF SEPTEMBER, 2024.

We again appreciatively welcome you most distinguished members of the fourth realm of the estate, affiliate groups across the state and citizens present in this occasion of our press briefing.

It has been a long journey for us as a civil society coalition in ensuring Edo state have its governorship election fairly, credibly and transparent going by the different activities we embarked on in the three senatorial districts of the state. It was a tedious task for us that we had to do for the progress and development of democracy in nigeria and our dear state in particular.

When we launched our sensitization campaign christened ‘EYES ON THE BALL’ we meant every word of it as our focus were on achieving fair, credible and transparent electoral process devoid of rigging, violence-free election, non-partisanship of security agencies and the umpire, tackling of vote buying and selling which is the major ingredient that compromises election in Nigeria recently.

As a civil society network that has its members at the grassroots level across the state and peopled by Nigerian citizens who are residents in Edo state, we need not subscribe to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Election Observer’s status which to us is mechanical and teleguided. Our members who are voters alongside other citizens performing their civic rights at different polling units fed our Situation Room with details of happenings per time. There are no better reports or information from anywhere else than that from the people and voters.

INEC OFFICIALS AND OPENING OF POLLS

It was recorded that the arrival of INEC officials and materials were early in most polling units while it arrived late in a few other units.
The down pour on that election day played a significant role in the arrival and late opening of polls. There was very minimal report of any trouble or difficulty with the BVAS machines throughout the voting period.

ELECTION VIOLENCE

This menace seemed to have been brought to non existence, maybe due to the consistent sensitisation or because of the heavy presence of a very well prepared security troops that filled the state as at the election period as promised by the IGP. It’s also cheering to note that, no single life was recorded anywhere to have been lost on election day.

VOTE MERCHANDISING

The polls were opened without violence as voters took their turns to vote,
However, in several units, vote buying and selling became a common sight, Security personnel didn’t act in enforcing the law against such an act.
Votes were freely sold and bought by the two major political parties between the sum of ten thousand naira (N10,000) and twenty thousand naira (N20,000) or even far less depending on the location or environment.
All these were carried out in a very agreeable and peaceful atmosphere. In some cases, some voters returned home without casting their votes when they couldn’t get a satisfactory bargain from the buying of the votes.

VOTERS’ APATHY

Voters’ APATHY was observed in most of the polling units across the state, apart from the rains in the earlier hours of the election day that could play a significant role too, a large percentage of citizens which could be estimated to be up to 30% of voting class Nigerians have developed cold feet which is evident in the number of accredited number of voters of that day against the number of last sets of PVCs collected alone before this election.
It could aslo be ascribed to total lack of confidence in our electoral processes, the magical malfunctioning of INEC in distorting voting figures after citizens have put in so much efforts, time and personal resources, and maybe fear of the huge number of security personnel deployed for the election.

This aspect of our democratic electioneering evolution is becoming more worrisome by every election and may get far worse in the coming days where citizens will completely abandon their PVCs and leave the voting to be done by INEC and our security agencies, if not checked now and dealt with.

ELECTION AND INTEGRITY TEST

It should be noted that, at the close of polls in some voting centres like Garrick Memorial School on Ekehuan road in Oredo and Western Boys high School in Ikpoba Okha, security agencies forcefully moved INEC officials and materials to INEC headquarters for coalition which is against the usual process, whereas In the proper order, collated results are moved from units to local government collation centre from where it will be moved to INEC headquarters for final collation and announcement.

While these collation abnormalities were going on, over 70% of results from polling units have already been received and registered in the INEC IREV portal by officials of INEC.
It was also shocking to observe that party agents and accredited observers were barred from entering the INEC headquarters to monitor the materials that were brought in by the heavily armed soldiers and other security agencies who had barricaded the entire area, which event raised protests around INEC headquarters.

This action of the security agencies and INEC gives room for suspicion, compromise and partisanship that makes the election not to pass the integrity test and leaves a taste in posterity.

FINALLY

We want to use this medium to congratulate the governor and the deputy governor elect, Sen.Monday Okpebholo and Hon.Dennis Idahosa for the victory at the poll. We want to enjoin all aggrieved parties to seek redress through all legal and constitutional means without resorting to self help.

While we call on INEC the electoral umpire to explain to Edo voters how it arrived at the discrepancies between the figures recorded and posted on its IREV portal by its staff and its eventual announced results on Sunday night.

AND appeal to the Inspector General of police as a matter of urgent security importance to reinstate a date for the resumption of our suspended local vigilante known as ESSN whose suspension was due to the election which is now concluded.

With special thanks to all our supporters during this very tensed and tasking Edo state governorship election, all Leftists across the state and members of the press.
This briefing brings us to the official shutting down of EDOCSO 2024 election situation room.

May God and our ANCESTORS bless you all richly as always, thanks for coming and have a nice day ahead.

Leftist Omobude Agho
Coordinator General.

Leftist Godspower Okumbor
Secretary General