Forensic Expert Claims INEC Actively Rigged 2024 Edo Election

Oluwasegun SanusiNovember 3, 20242 Mins read278

Martins Obono, Executive Director of the TAP Initiative, has accused Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of enabling and actively participating in rigging the 2024 Edo State governorship election.

He made this known while on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, presenting what he described as “damning, incontrovertible evidence” implicating INEC in an elaborate scheme that threatens Nigeria’s democratic integrity.

Obono brought forward a series of documents alleging significant discrepancies between certified true copies (CTCs) of polling unit results issued by INEC and the documents uploaded to INEC’s own iREV portal.

When we compared the CTCs from INEC with iREV’s records, we uncovered something staggering, he revealed, alleging that INEC had created duplicate result sheets with identical serial numbers. The iREV results are signed by party agents, while the CTCs remain unsigned, raising serious concerns.

To substantiate his claims, Obono explained that the TAP Initiative had sought the expertise of a globally acclaimed forensic handwriting analyst renowned for work with the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The expert’s findings, according to Obono, confirmed that multiple CTCs were filled out by a single individual, suggesting fraudulent activity.

One person sat down and forged these results, Obono stated…If INEC can betray our trust, what does it mean for the future of democracy in Nigeria? he queried.

Calling for immediate accountability, Obono urged the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to investigate INEC officials at every level, from the chairman down to local officers.

This cannot stand. If INEC’s actions go unpunished, it will serve as a blueprint for future election fraud, he warned. We have fought too hard for this democracy to allow it to be dismantled by the very institution meant to uphold it.

Recall the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presiding officer, Obozuwa Josephine, accusing her of falsifying election results in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the Edo State governorship election.

While the election was marred by vote buying, accusations of fraud, and arrests of suspected violent party members, the major concern before the election was an affiliation of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Anugbum Onuoha, to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.

The allegations against Onuoha were brought forward by Tony Aziegbemi, the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, who called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to redeploy him, citing his family connection to Wike.

Responding to these claims, Onuoha dismissed the relevance of his relationship with Wike, highlighting his background as an Associate Professor of Law and his previous experience as an electoral commissioner in Rivers State, where no complaints were lodged against him.

The mere fact that I am a cousin to Wike does not preclude me from being appointed. Am I not a Nigerian? Nigerians should have gone beyond this level, Onuoha remarked.

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