The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have engaged in a heated dispute regarding accusations surrounding the integrity of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used in the disputed Edo State governorship election held on September 21, 2024. The PDP claims that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has acted irresponsibly by denying access to electoral materials, which is critical for PDP candidate Asue Ighodalo, who intends to challenge the election’s results in court. Meanwhile, the APC organized a protest outside the INEC office in Benin, alleging collusion between the PDP and the electoral commission to manipulate election results, thereby showcasing the underlying tensions between the two leading political parties in the state.
According to the results of the governorship election, the APC’s candidate, Monday Okpebholo, won the election with a total of 291,667 votes, while Ighodalo of the PDP garnered 247,274 votes. Ologunagba, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, accused INEC officials of refusing to grant the PDP access to the BVAS machines and other crucial materials, directly violating a court order from the Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal. He further claimed that these officials were allegedly allowing APC-affiliated thugs to disrupt the process, thus obstructing the PDP’s ability to gather evidence to support its claims of electoral malpractice.
Ologunagba’s remarks emphasized the PDP’s belief that the INEC’s refusal to cooperate reflects a deeper pattern of collusion designed to benefit the APC at the expense of electoral integrity. He suggested that there are efforts underway to physically manipulate critical electoral data stored in the BVAS machines and other materials to favor the already declared APC candidate. This, he argued, was a blatant disregard of the electoral principles meant to ensure a free, fair, and credible election, and called upon the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, to act immediately to uphold the commission’s integrity and comply with judicial orders.
In a statement made while visiting the INEC office in Benin, Olusegun Jolaawo (SAN), a member of Ighodalo’s legal team, expressed concerns that without timely access to the electoral materials, the legal team might not be able to file their petition adequately. He conveyed the urgency of inspecting the BVAS machines while also indicating the reluctance of INEC officials to provide information about when the materials would be available. With a deadline approaching for petition filing, Jolaawo underscored the necessity of transparent access to these materials, hinting at the potential implications of further hindrance in the electoral review process.
The legal contention reached a new height when Ighodalo and the PDP secured a court order compelling INEC to provide them with access to all electoral materials in its possession, including a comprehensive list of these materials. The court ruling aims to ensure transparency in the electoral process and to permit the PDP and Ighodalo to substantiate their claims through proper examination of the evidence that might either support or refute election outcome allegations against INEC, the APC, and its candidate.
Simultaneously, thousands of APC supporters demonstrated outside the INEC office, vocalizing their fears about Ighodalo’s alleged attempts to tamper with election result sheets, further complicating the political atmosphere in Edo State. Led by Deputy Governor-elect Dennis Idahosa, the protest served to reinforce party morale while also pressuring the INEC to maintain the integrity of the election materials. This manifestation of party loyalty against perceived injustices highlighted the widespread concern over election integrity and underscored the importance of the INEC’s role in managing electoral disputes impartially.
The complex interaction between the PDP and APC amid the ongoing legal and electoral disputes poses questions about the viability of the electoral system in Edo State. With both parties accusing the other of dishonest practices and seeking to verify the election conduct, the outcome of this conflict will significantly influence future political engagement and governance in the region. How INEC responds to these challenges and the subsequent actions of the tribunal will be vital in shaping not just the immediate political landscape, but also the public’s confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process moving forward.
