The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned Yiaga Africa, a civil society organization, against undermining the Independent National Electoral Commission by questioning the results of the recently concluded Edo State gubernatorial election.
In a press statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC criticized Yiaga Africa for allegedly attempting to second-guess INEC’s authority.
Morka described the group’s actions as overstepping their mandate as election observers.
The party also accused the civil society organization of making baseless allegations regarding the manipulation of results, stating that these claims lacked supporting evidence and were based on speculative data.
According to Morka, alleging that results were manipulated without hard facts and figures, but based on some statistical guesswork, is a clear disservice to the electoral process. Yiaga Africa’s report is a travesty, replete with methodological flaws, politicized observations, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies.
He also stressed that election observers such as Yiaga Africa should respect INEC’s statutory role and refrain from encroaching on the commission’s responsibilities.
Morka further warned Yiaga Africa against sowing confusion by creating the appearance of a “parallel election process” through unverified and questionable statistical parameters.
He warned that election observers 'missions are not election management agencies and cannot usurp INEC’s statutory authority as the sole election management body in Nigeria. Declaring or second-guessing the Edo State gubernatorial result based on unsubstantiated, unverified, and highly questionable statistical parameters created by Yiaga Africa is designed to create unnecessary confusion.
Meanwhile, the APC expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for ensuring a fair electoral process and praised INEC and law enforcement agencies for their professionalism during the election.
He reaffirmed the party’s belief that the election results represented the will of the Edo people, who voted for Senator Monday Okpebholo as their next governor.
Morka also stated that the APC reiterates its immense appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for ensuring a level playing field, to INEC for its professionalism, and to law enforcement agencies for their diligence and service during the election.
By their votes, the good people of Edo State were loud and clear in their choice of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the next governor to lead the state into a new era of peace, unity, people-centered development, and prosperity for all.
The APC also reminded any aggrieved parties that legal disputes regarding the election results should be resolved through the courts, in accordance with the established electoral process.
On Monday, Yiaga Africa criticized the conduct of the election, stating that the process and declared results lacked integrity. The organization alleged widespread irregularities, including the manipulation of results by collation officers.