The just-concluded Edo State governorship election has been shrouded in controversy, with widespread electoral malpractice and manipulation......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has come under fire for using soldiers to rig the election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
This has caused a public outcry, particularly after earlier assurances from the Chief of Defence Staff, General Chris Musa, that the military would remain neutral and protect the integrity of the election.
According to multiple reports from election observers, soldiers played a direct role in facilitating the irregularities that marred the electoral process.
Despite promises of neutrality, soldiers were deployed to provide cover for corrupt INEC officials who tampered with result sheets and manipulated the collation process.
In several areas, soldiers were seen intimidating agents of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as well as independent election observers, preventing them from accessing collation centers where the manipulations took place.
One PDP agent, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, recounted his experience: “We were pushed away from the collation center by armed soldiers who threatened us if we didn’t leave.
Inside, we could see INEC officials changing the results on the sheets. It was obvious that they were working for the APC, but we were powerless to stop them because the military was protecting them.”
This claim was echoed by numerous observers who reported seeing soldiers escorting INEC officials during the collation of results in several local government areas.
In strongholds of the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, soldiers were stationed near polling units and collation centers to prevent opposition party members from witnessing the vote-counting process.
Before the election, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Chris Musa, had assured Nigerians that the military would not interfere in the political process.
In a public statement, Musa pledged that soldiers would be deployed solely for the purpose of ensuring security and would not be involved in any activities that could compromise the election’s fairness.
“The military is committed to protecting the democratic process in Nigeria, and we will ensure that our personnel remain neutral in this election. We are here to safeguard the people, not to interfere with their right to choose their leaders,” General Musa stated.
However, the reality on the ground was different. Not only were soldiers involved in electoral manipulation, but their presence seemed to embolden corrupt INEC officials to carry out illegal activities without fear of consequence.
In several polling units across Benin City, Uromi, and Esan West, voters complained of intimidation by soldiers, who they said were working in conjunction with APC agents to alter results.
An election observer from a civil society group described how soldiers actively restricted access to key collation centers. “We were denied entry into several collation centers in areas where the PDP was leading.
“Soldiers, who were supposed to ensure order, instead formed a protective shield around INEC officials who were busy changing result sheets. When we tried to challenge them, we were met with threats and were told to leave the area immediately.”
Asue Ighodalo, the PDP candidate, has vowed to challenge the election results in court, calling the entire process a “mockery of democracy.”