US Calls for Transparency, Fairness, Due Process in Edo Election Appeal

Sunday Ehigiator

The United States Mission in Nigeria has urged for transparency and due process in the Edo election appeal process, saying these principles are vital for maintaining public trust in democratic systems.

Reacting to the 2024 Edo and Ondo Governorship Election BIP Report in a statement posted on the US Mission Nigeria X handle (@USinNigeria), the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, reiterated his support for free and fair elections, credible, transparency and due process as essentials in maintaining public confidence in any democratic system.

The statement read: “The U.S. Mission in Nigeria is following the Edo election appeal process closely, particularly given civil society’s concerns about critical issues related to the election, such as ‘serious lapses in the collation process’ that were observed.

“Ambassador Mills reiterates his statement of September 24 that transparency and due process are crucial to maintaining public confidence in any democratic system. The United States reaffirms our commitment to supporting free, fair, transparent, and credible elections in Nigeria and will continue to monitor the situation closely.”

The 2024 Edo and Ondo Governorship Election BIP Report, conducted by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), revealed significant discrepancies in the electoral process.

One of the key findings was the persistent mismatch in the number of registered voters across multiple polling units. In Edo State, inconsistencies were found in 141 polling units, while in Ondo, the same issue was observed in 87 polling units.

These discrepancies extended to the final collation centres, where the total number of registered voters recorded differed significantly from INEC’s pre-election figures.

The report also highlighted a surge in arithmetic errors, particularly in Edo State. Arithmetic inconsistencies in election result computation increased by 184 per cent from 150 cases in 2020 to 426 in 2024. In contrast, Ondo State showed a commendable reduction in arithmetic errors, improving by 69 per cent compared to the previous election cycle.

Furthermore, the report found a significant number of unaccounted-for votes in both states, with Edo recording 29,053 unaccounted ballots at the polling unit level.

Over-voting was another significant problem, with inflated numbers recorded at polling units. Edo State had over-voting in 382 polling units, with a total of 8,887 excess votes.

It is against the backdrop of the BIP Report that the United States Mission in Nigeria is calling for transparency, fairness and due process in the Edo Election appeal process.