KEY POINTS
- APC did not take kindly to Yiaga Africa’s stand in insisting on its right to question the outcome of elections as headed by INEC.
- While responding to the foregoing issues raised by Morka, Yiaga Africa accuses him of speculative reporting without authentic evidence.
- APC appreciates President Tinubu, INEC, security agencies as a credible free and fair election is held.
Yiaga Africa, a civil society organization (CSO), accused INEC of manipulating the Edo State gubernatorial election. In response, the All Progressives Congress (APC) quickly threatened to sanction the CSO for attempting to undermine the electoral process. APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, made this statement on Tuesday. He accused Yiaga Africa of exceeding its role as an election observer.
“Yiaga Africa is overreaching its observer mission by second-guessing INEC on the result of the Edo election,” Morka said. He reminded the public that INEC is the only legal body responsible for conducting and announcing election results in Nigeria.
Several weeks ago, Yiaga Africa published a report, which the APC strongly opposed. Morka dismissed the CSO for filing a petition alleging that the election results were manipulated. He claimed that Yiaga Africa’s report was methodologically flawed and highlighted its shortcomings.
Accusations of manipulation
Morka criticized the CSO for accusing INEC of manipulating election results without providing solid evidence. “Simply accusing someone of manipulating results without solid proof and figures, but relying on statistical estimates, is misleading,” he added.
The APC also accused Yiaga Africa of running a parallel election process by using unverified statistics. Morka stressed that INEC operates within the legal framework, and election observer missions must respect INEC’s responsibilities. He reiterated that election observers should not encroach on INEC’s mandate.
APC’s gratitude and call for legal redress
The APC expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for enabling a free and fair election. The party also praised INEC and security agencies for their professionalism during the election. Morka reaffirmed that the election results reflected the true wishes of the Edo people, who voted for Monday Okpebholo as the next governor.
“The APC thanks President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing a level playing ground and INEC for its professionalism,” Morka added. He urged any disgruntled parties to seek legal redress through the courts, emphasizing that the electoral process adheres to established principles.
According to Punch, Before the election results were announced, Yiaga Africa criticized the process, alleging widespread irregularities. These included accusations of tally officers altering figures. However, the APC rejected these claims, stating that the election followed the best international standards of transparency.
