Inspection of Edo poll materials fuels APC, PDP election conflict

The inspection of election materials is the latest issue that has pitted the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress each other and heating up the polity in Edo State, writes ADEYINKA ADEDIPE

The bad blood between the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party in the run up to the Edo State governorship election on September 21 has grown into a bigger problem as the inspection of materials after last month’s contentious election pits the two parties against each other again.

If not well managed, the issue could snowball into an unpalatable situation that could throw the state into chaos.

Nigeria’s ruling party, the APC won its first big electoral test since Bola Tinubu became President last year, despite the dire state of the country’s economy.

In Edo, which had previously been in the hands of the opposition PDP, Senator Monday Okpebholo defeated the PDP’s Asue Ighodalo with 291,667 votes against 247,274 for Ighodalo.

However, the PDP complained of fraud and vowed to challenge the result in court and the current problem started when the PDP got an order from the election tribunal to inspect the materials used for the governorship election, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, on October 9.

The first attempt by the PDP and its candidate, Ighodalo, to begin the inspection through its legal team led by Olusegun Jolaawo (SAN) on October 7 failed. According to Jolaawo, the legal team was told it would be contacted by INEC when the materials and BVAS were ready, which he said, was not what they (members of the legal team) expected when they got to the INEC office.

Jolaawo noted that the team would lose valuable time in its quest to inspect the voting materials before filing it petition challenging the result of the election.

He said, “This is to register our displeasure with the election results and submit petition for same. We came here (INEC) in our attempt to get materials to flesh up our petition as granted by a court order received on September 29, 2024.

 “When we got here, we were unable to get an audience with the Resident Electoral Commission, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, but we were able to meet with the head of legal department who told us that they were preparing a schedule for our inspection.

“We were told whenever the schedule is ready we would be contacted by INEC which is not what we expected. The risk of not giving us access to inspect materials is obvious to everybody. Time expires on Saturday for us to file this petition, and today is Monday,” he noted.

Not ready to be undone, the APC besieged the INEC office protesting alleged plot by Ighodalo to tamper with result sheets and other election materials in the commission’s office ahead of the sitting of the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal.

Led by the Deputy Governor-elect, Dennis Idahosa, the protesters blocked the entrance into the INEC office, thereby creating heavy gridlock around the area as they cautioned INEC against allowing anybody to tamper with the election documents. However, they were sent to the other side of the road and the INEC office was cordoned off as policemen were seen moving around the building while a few members of staff moved in and out of the compound.

On October 8, both parties threw shades at each other over the incident that transpired at the INEC office.

The state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, in a statement, alleged that the APC obstructed justice and thwarted efforts of the PDP to regain its stolen mandate during the September 21 governorship election.

Nehikhare said, “We express deep concerns over the recent attack on the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Edo State by thugs and members of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress led by Dennis Idahosa, the Deputy Governor-elect.

“We condemn in the strongest terms attempts by the APC to obstruct justice and frustrate the efforts of the PDP to regain its mandate stolen during the September 21 governorship election, by intimidating INEC officials into frustrating the PDP from accessing the BVAS and other materials to flesh up its petition against the September 21 electoral robbery.

“To say the least, this is most troubling, shameful and reprehensible in the light of the wider ramifications of the action of these thugs. It is quite appalling that PDP lawyers who went to the INEC office were prevented access despite presenting a court order to that effect. In fact, the Edo REC refused to grant the team audience, true to form of someone who is in connivance with the APC.

“The INEC official, who anonymously spoke to them after several hours of unnecessary delays and tossing around, claimed they were awaiting permission from the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, who we are aware is out of the country. We are in the know that the clandestine and surreptitious game plan is to frustrate the PDP appeal and ensure the petition is not filed before the Saturday deadline.

In his response, the Director of Publicity, Edo APC Governorship Campaign Council, Orobosa Omo-ojo, said the PDP and Ighodalo were suffering from the September 21 knockout, noting that APC had no hand in their “judicial mishap.”

He said, “The All Progressives Congress read the diatribe and attack on our party by the defeated PDP in our dear state, with utter dismay at the falsehood they have designed to mischievously misrepresent the true situation at the Benin Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the presence of the APC youths at the INEC office is to safeguard our hard earned victory, especially as we have trusted information that a top shot of the PDP as planned to take advantage of his acquittance with a female INEC ICT department staff, from one of the neighbouring state, to falsify some already declared results. Nehikhare statement is an open demonstration of poor understanding of what electoral process is.

“Ighodalo and PDP must be reminded that the 2024 Edo State governorship election has been conducted and won by Senator Monday Okpebholo few weeks ago.

“We will nonetheless, excuse their confusion, which must be a result of concussion they suffered from the knockdown on September 21, 2024, and to simply inform them that the challenge they now face is a legal process, which has now become their albatross. The All Progressives Congress has no blame in the PDP judicial mishap.”

Despite the hiccups experienced in the first two days, the inspection was expected to begin on October 9 but a clash between counsels of the PDP and APC at the INEC office stalled the exercise.

The PDP legal team had stated that the inspection would start with the BVAS, while that of the APC insisted that the inspection of the material would start with the voters register in accordance with the order obtained by the PDP at the tribunal.

After the stalemate, the legal team of the PDP left without talking to journalists. However, counsel to the APC, Victor Ohionsumua, told journalists, “You are aware that there is a court order, granted exparte to PDP for inspection of materials. We were also proactive in APC and also filed for inspection of materials and that was granted on the 7th of October, 2024.

“They invited us here that they were going to start inspection of materials today (Oct 9) by 10am. Our legal team came here and we were served with a schedule; just few minutes after that, the PDP legal team said that they wanted to start with BIVAS.

“We drew the INEC officers’ attention to the order obtained by the PDP that says that inspection of materials should start with the Voters’ Register. So upon which order are they complying with when they now said we should start with BVAS machines?

“So, INEC looked at the order and found out that our objection had merit and said on the basis of that we should start the inspection with Voters’ Register. Unfortunately, because we were not carried along with the preparation of the schedule, we didn’t come to INEC office today (Wednesday) with our own Voters’ Register.

“We cannot be inspecting Voters’ Register when there is no other register that we have to do some comparison. So, we now applied that in view of the fact that the time has gone, and we don’t have our voters’ register with us, we should adjourn the inspection to tomorrow (Thursday).”

Responding to what transpired at INEC office, the Director-General of the Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council, Mathew Iduoriyekewen, said, “It is clear that INEC is delaying this process because the filing of the case at the tribunal is time bound. We have got an injunction to allow our lawyers inspect the materials but they have not been able to do so for two days despite going to INEC for that purpose.

“What INEC did today (Oct 9) was to call lawyers of both parties and the APC arrived the venue with a lot of thugs. This is not the first time materials were being inspected, so, I don’t know why this one is different. I will be there personally, so let us see if anyone will stop us from making sure that INEC complies with that court order. We are either democratic or not. If we are in a dictatorship, they should let us know that is what we are practicing.”

On Thursday, more disagreement ensued and the waiting game continued with supporters engaging in gunshot battles close to the INEC office with some getting shot. As if that was not enough, another crisis began before the inspection was to commence. The Edo APC, through its state chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, drew the attention of the INEC Director of Operations to a petition alleging that BVAS machines and voters registers were early in the week brought into the INEC complex with vehicles from the state Government House.

The PDP contended that the petition was frivolous, baseless and lacked the truth, cannot supersede a valid court order and called for the commencement of the inspection.

Responding to the allegation contained in the APC’s petition, the REC said in a statement, “The Independent National Electoral Commission, Edo State, has concluded its thorough investigation into the allegations made by the All Progressives Congress regarding the purported smuggling of BVAS and voters’ registers into the INEC office by members of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Following a comprehensive review of the allegations, it has been determined that the allegations are baseless, unsubstantiated, and entirely without merit. INEC maintains a steadfast commitment to upholding the integrity of the electoral process, and at no time were the BVAS machines or voters’ registers compromised or unlawfully accessed by any political party or external entity.

“We fully understand the gravity of such claims, which is why the investigation was conducted with the utmost rigor and impartiality. As an institution charged with the sacred responsibility of ensuring free, fair, and credible elections, INEC will not tolerate any form of malpractice or manipulation, and the integrity of all electoral materials remains fully intact.

“In light of these findings, we are in full compliance with the recent court order directing the inspection of electoral materials, including the BVAS machines and voters’ registers. INEC is prepared to facilitate this inspection process, ensuring transparency and adherence to the rule of law.

We urge all parties to cooperate fully during this process. We appeal to all political actors to focus on the democratic principles that bind us and avoid actions or rhetoric that may undermine public  confidence in our electoral system. INEC’s commitment to neutrality and excellence in electoral administration remains unwavering, and we will continue to work towards the preservation of democracy and the rule of law in Edo State and Nigeria at large.”

Owing to the inability of the political parties, particularly the APC and its counterpart, PDP, to agree on the way forward, the electoral commission then adjourned the materials inspection indefinitely on Thursday.

Six political parties, including the APC, that took part in the Edo State governorship election in a joint statement agreed to inspect the election materials despite the Friday deadline given by the tribunal.

The joint statement by the political parties, noted that the “inability” of INEC to commence the inspection October 11 necessitated the postponement.

The statement read in part, “Political parties that participated in the September 21, 2024 Governorship Election in Edo State, today (Friday) resolved to adjourn the tribunal ordered joint inspection of election materials at the Benin City office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, to Monday October 14, 2024 by 11am.

“The parties took the decision after a joint meeting, after INEC failed to organise the exercise on Friday. The resolution was signed by representatives of six political parties. The representatives are: Obodeje Oghorin, counsel to APP; Kenny Isokpan, Chairman BOOT Party; Osahon Obamogie, NNPP; Sylvester Ugberase, counsel to AAP and Dr. Bishop Akahaime of Zenith party.

“Others are Jarret Tenebe of Chairman, Edo State All Progressives Congress, and Victor Ohiosuma,  counsel to APC.”