A civil society organisation has cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure Saturday’s August 16 Edo bye-elections are free, fair, and credible, warning against any attempt to rig the polls.
The Coalition of Observers Groups in Nigeria, led by Simon Diogu, alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State may be plotting to influence the outcome of the exercise.
In a statement on Thursday, the group urged President Bola Tinubu to avoid militarising the process and called on the Nigeria Police to remain professional before, during, and after the elections.
“As Edo Central Senatorial District and Ovia Federal Constituency prepare to vote, we are deeply concerned about credible reports that could compromise the integrity of the process,” the statement read.
The coalition claimed it had received indications that duplicate result sheets might be unlawfully prepared ahead of collation, raising fears that results could be predetermined.
Noting that Edo Central is the home constituency of the sitting governor, the group urged him to publicly condemn alleged threats by his supporters against opposition parties and to ensure a peaceful, lawful, and violence-free exercise in his role as the state’s Chief Security Officer.
“Any democracy is only as strong as the trust citizens have in it,” the statement continued. “INEC has a legal and moral duty to ensure that the will of the people is not undermined by manipulation or intimidation. The commission must take immediate and transparent steps to guarantee open, verifiable, and interference-free collation of results.”
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