The Executive Director, TAP Initiative, Martins Obono, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being actively involved in rigging the 2024 Edo State governorship election.
It could be recalled that Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, defeated the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Asue Ighodalo, in the keenly contested election.
However, appearing on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Obono presented what he claimed to be “damning, incontrovertible evidence” of INEC’s role in an alleged conspiracy that could shake Nigeria’s electoral foundation.
While presenting documents, he said: “When we compared the CTCs from INEC with iREV’s records, we uncovered something staggering.
“It appears INEC produced a shadow set of result sheets to substitute the real ones.
“They bear identical serial numbers, yet the iREV results are signed by party agents, while the CTCs are mysteriously unsigned.”
Obono then revealed that TAP Initiative had enlisted a world-renowned forensic handwriting expert, whose expertise is sought by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, to scrutinise the CTCs.
“The expert confirmed that several CTCs were filled out by a single individual,” Obono stated.
“One person sat down and forged these results. We were stunned. Democracies are built on trust in our institutions. If INEC can betray that trust, what does it mean for our future?” He alleged.
Obono contended that the alleged manipulation “wasn’t just election fraud, it was institutionalised rigging, a level of deception never seen before in Nigeria.
“For years, we suspected rogue actors in political parties. But this time, it’s the very institution entrusted to protect our democracy, INEC, that is subverting it.
“Citizens need to believe in the system, or democracy fails. This isn’t about one election; it’s about the soul of our democracy.”
He called on the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to pursue a comprehensive investigation, stressing, “This cannot stand. If INEC’s actions go unpunished, it will form the playbook for all future elections.
“We fought too hard for this democracy to allow it to be dismantled by those who should protect it.”
According to Obono, the 2022 Electoral Act has strengthened oversight over political actors but has failed to apply the same accountability standards to INEC itself.
“Those involved in this scandal must face the law.
“Nigeria’s democracy depends on the integrity of its institutions, and if INEC has abandoned that, it’s our duty to hold them accountable,” he declared.