Former Minister of Aviation and Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Osita Chidoka, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of what he called “incontrovertible evidence of systemic rigging” in the just-concluded September 21, 2024 Edo State governorship election.
Speaking on Channels TV political programme, ‘Politics Today’, on Friday night, Chidoka said the Athena Centre’s analysis of the election results revealed significant discrepancies, including a mismatch between the number of accredited voters recorded by presiding officers at polling units and the figures reported by INEC’s BVAS at the backend.
He claimed that while polling unit records showed 580,000 accredited voters, INEC’s backend inflated the figure to 687,000, adding more than 100,000 votes in 798 polling units. Chidoka described the development as clear evidence of alterations at the backend and a deliberate effort to manipulate the outcome of the election.
The former aviation minister also pointed to discrepancies between the certified true copies of polling unit results issued by INEC and the results uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV). The irregularities, he alleged, suggested the use of duplicate result sheets containing fabricated figures to skew the election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chidoka’s findings further highlighted that 11,665 votes were subtracted from the PDP’s tally during ward collation, while 32,284 votes were added to the APC’s total number of votes.
When asked who he believed won the election, Chidoka stated that the Athena Centre’s analysis, excluding invalid votes, indicated that the PDP candidate, Barr. Asue Ighodalo, secured a slim victory.
“The evidence of systemic rigging is so substantial that we cannot even recognize this as a valid election,” he said, warning that allowing the flawed results to stand would set a dangerous precedent, making credible elections impossible in 2027.
Chidoka also raised concerns about over-voting, missing results, and the manipulation of BVAS records at INEC’s headquarters. He expressed dismay at what he described as the erosion of public trust in the electoral process, stating, “The BVAS machines, previously hailed as the gold standard for election integrity, were remotely manipulated by INEC. This revelation completely betrays public trust.”
The former minister called for urgent reforms to address systemic flaws in Nigeria’s electoral process, including auditing ballot papers before announcing results, transitioning to electronic voting, depoliticizing electoral appointments, and enacting stricter laws to punish electoral malpractice.
He also criticised INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s leadership, joining other prominent voices, such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in calling for his immediate replacement.
Chidoka’s revelations have intensified calls for the judiciary to nullify the Edo State governorship election results, which declared APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, the winner with 291,667 votes, narrowly ahead of Ighodalo’s 247,274 votes. He urged the courts to rise to the occasion and correct what he described as the worst election ever conducted by INEC. “If this flawed result stands, rest assured there will be no credible election in 2027,” he warned.
Osita Chidoka then announced his resignation from the PDP, to enable him focus fully on fighting for electoral reform without being hamstrung by the toga of partisanship. “Nothing else is as important to me right now as the defence of our democracy,” he stated.
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