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APC Hits Back: Denounces Yiaga Africa’s Claims and Defends Edo Election Results

Published by Tope Fakinlede on September 25th, 2024.

APC Hits Back: Denounces Yiaga Africa’s Claims and Defends Edo Election Results

APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a warning to Yiaga Africa, a civil society organization, for questioning the results of the recent Edo State gubernatorial election and undermining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a statement released on Tuesday, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka criticized Yiaga Africa for allegedly overstepping its role as an election observer. He emphasized that INEC holds the exclusive authority to conduct and declare election results.

“Yiaga Africa is exceeding its observer mandate by second-guessing INEC regarding the outcome of last Saturday’s election. They must refrain from acting as a parallel authority in this process,” Morka stated.

The party also accused the organization of making unfounded claims about result manipulation, arguing that these allegations were unsupported by concrete evidence and based on conjecture.

“Claiming that results were tampered with without any factual basis is a disservice to the electoral process. Yiaga Africa’s report is flawed, marked by methodological errors and inconsistent observations,” Morka added.

He urged Yiaga Africa to respect INEC’s statutory role and avoid encroaching on the commission’s responsibilities, warning against the confusion created by their approach.

“Election observers are not management agencies and cannot assume INEC’s authority. Such actions would violate the Electoral Act and the Nigerian Constitution,” he cautioned.

Morka further noted that declaring or questioning the Edo State election results based on unverified statistics aims to create unnecessary confusion.

Meanwhile, the APC expressed appreciation for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for ensuring a transparent electoral process, commending INEC and law enforcement for their professionalism during the election.

Morka affirmed the party’s belief that the election results reflected the will of Edo voters, who elected Senator Monday Okpebholo as their new governor.

“The APC extends its gratitude to President Tinubu, INEC, and law enforcement for their efforts in ensuring a fair election. The people of Edo State clearly chose Senator Monday Okpebholo to lead them towards a new era of development and unity,” Morka said.

The party reminded any dissatisfied parties that any disputes regarding the election results should be addressed through legal channels as per established electoral procedures.

In response, Yiaga Africa had previously criticized the election, alleging significant irregularities, including result manipulation by collation officers.