Ahead of Saturday’s August 16th Edo bye-election, a civil society group has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure a free, fair, and credible exercise.
The CSO also alleged that there is a plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state to undermine the outcome of the election.
The Coalition of Observers group in Nigeria, led by Simon Diogu, made this known in a statement on Thursday.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to resist the temptation not to militarise the process and urged the Nigeria Police to be professional in the discharge of their duties before, during, and after the elections.
“As Edo State heads to the polls on August 16, 2025, for the Edo Central Senatorial District and Ovia Federal Constituency bye-elections, the Coalition of Observer Groups in Nigeria expresses deep concern over credible reports that threaten the credibility of the process.
“We have received worrying indications that similar tactics may be deployed in the upcoming bye-elections, with fears that results could be predetermined through the unlawful preparation of duplicate result sheets before collation begins.
“We note that Edo Central Senatorial District is the home constituency of the sitting governor. In light of this, we call on the governor to publicly condemn reported threats made by his supporters against opposition parties and their candidates and to, in his capacity as Chief Security Officer of the state, commit to ensuring that the elections are peaceful, violence-free, and conducted in strict adherence to the law.
“Any democracy is only as strong as the confidence reposed in it by its citizens. INEC has both a legal and moral obligation to ensure that the will of the people is not subverted by acts of manipulation or intimidation. “The commission must take urgent, visible steps to guarantee that collation is open, verifiable, and protected from interference,” the statement partly reads. ‘