The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was accused of systematic fraud during the Edo State governorship election by Osita Chidoka, the former minister of aviation and chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership. This accusation is a dramatic turn of events. Chidoka gave what he described as indisputable proof of electoral rigging intended to benefit the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Chidoka’s analysis, conducted by the Athena Centre, revealed significant discrepancies in voter accreditation and results reporting.
According to Vanguard, he claimed that while presiding officers recorded 580,000 accredited voters, INEC’s backend inflated the number to 687,000, adding over 100,000 votes in 798 polling units.
Further irregularities were discovered, including discrepancies between certified polling unit results and those uploaded to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal.
Chidoka also highlighted that during ward collation, 11,665 votes were subtracted from the PDP’s tally, while 32,284 votes were added to the APC’s.
He decried the manipulation of BVAS machines and the erosion of public trust in the electoral process, which had previously been seen as a safeguard for free and fair elections.
In response, Chidoka called for urgent electoral reforms, including transitioning to electronic voting and auditing ballot papers before announcing results.
He also criticized INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s leadership, demanding his removal.
Chidoka resigned from the PDP, emphasizing that defending Nigeria’s democracy was now his top priority.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
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