The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a strong warning to civil society organisation Yiaga Africa, accusing it of overstepping its role as an election observer by questioning the results of the recently concluded Edo State gubernatorial election.
In a statement released on Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC criticised Yiaga Africa for allegedly undermining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and attempting to challenge its authority.
“Yiaga Africa is overreaching its election observer mission by second-guessing INEC on the result of last Saturday’s Edo State gubernatorial election,” Morka declared.
He reminded the organisation that INEC is the sole statutory authority responsible for the conduct and declaration of election results in Nigeria.
Morka accused Yiaga Africa of making unsubstantiated claims regarding the manipulation of election results, arguing that the group’s assertions were based on speculative data rather than concrete evidence.
“Alleging that results were manipulated without hard facts and figures, but based on some statistical guesswork, is a clear disservice to the electoral process. Yiaga Africa’s report is a travesty, replete with methodological flaws, politicised observations, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies,” Morka added.
The APC cautioned that election observer missions should not attempt to function as alternative election management bodies, warning Yiaga Africa against creating confusion by giving the impression of a “parallel election process.”
“Election observer missions are not election management agencies and cannot usurp INEC’s statutory authority as the sole election management body in Nigeria,” Morka emphasised, calling such actions a violation of the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He went further to praise INEC for conducting what the APC described as a transparent and professional election, and thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for ensuring a fair process. The party also expressed gratitude to law enforcement agencies for their role in maintaining order during the election.
“The APC reiterates its immense appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for ensuring a level playing field, to INEC for its professionalism, and to law enforcement agencies for their diligence and service during the election,” Morka said.
The APC reaffirmed its stance that the election outcome, which declared Senator Monday Okpebholo of the APC as the winner, reflects the will of the Edo people.
“By their votes, the good people of Edo State were loud and clear in their choice of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the next governor to lead the state into a new era of peace, unity, people-centred development, and prosperity for all,” Morka stated.
In response to Yiaga Africa’s allegations of widespread irregularities, including the manipulation of results by collation officers, the APC reminded all aggrieved parties to seek redress through legal means. The party stressed that any disputes concerning the election results should be resolved through the courts, as prescribed by the country’s electoral laws.
Yiaga Africa had earlier raised concerns about the integrity of the election process and questioned the legitimacy of the declared results, drawing sharp criticism from the APC. The organisation claimed there were significant irregularities during the collation of results, but the APC has dismissed these allegations as baseless.
As the debate continues, the focus remains on how legal challenges and scrutiny will shape public perception of the election and the newly elected governor, Senator Okpebholo.