A coalition of 25 observer groups has criticised the Edo State governorship election, held last Saturday, describing it as falling short of expectations. The groups alleged that the collation of results at ward and local government levels did not adhere to the Electoral Act 2022.

In a joint statement, representatives of the observer groups, including Rose Akhigbe, Peter Nwokolo, Anyasor Gabriel, and Sunny Elekwa, expressed concern over discrepancies in the result sheets and irregularities in the collation process.

They alleged that military and police personnel interfered in the collation of results and intimidated electoral officials, calling the integrity of the process into question.

“We reject the declared results, as there were two sets of result sheets – one presented at polling units and another handed over to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in parts of Edo North, South, and Central,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also condemned the election outcome, describing it as one of the worst elections ever conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In contrast, the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, praised the conduct of security personnel during the election.

Separately, 30 other civil society organisations, under the banner of Citizens Memorandum for Electoral Reforms, presented a draft of 37 electoral reform recommendations to the National Assembly. The group, comprising organisations such as Yiaga Africa and the Centre for Media and Society, urged lawmakers to prioritise reforms that would ensure more transparent and credible elections.

Their proposals addressed key areas, including the independence of INEC, voter accreditation, political party reform, and the use of electoral technology. These recommendations are intended to guide future amendments to the Electoral Act and strengthen the country’s democratic processes.