Edo LG Poll: CRPP Questions APC's Celebrations, Demands Accountability Over EDSIEC Adhoc Staff

By Elvis Omoregie, Benin

The Conference of Registered Political Parties (CRPP), Edo State chapter, has criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) over its celebration of the outcome of the July 11 local government elections, arguing that the exercise failed to reflect the true electoral mood in the state and was marked by widespread voter apathy.

In a statement, the coalition said it was surprising that the APC was celebrating what it described as overwhelming electoral victory despite what it claimed was an extremely low voter turnout across the 18 local government areas.

According to the CRPP, the election failed to generate public enthusiasm even though the APC was virtually the only political party that fielded candidates.

The coalition argued that the poor turnout reflected growing public dissatisfaction with the APC-led administrations at both the state and federal levels, citing worsening insecurity, rising cost of living, unemployment, poverty and hunger as factors responsible for the electorate's apparent disengagement from the electoral process.

CRPP maintained that the figures released after the election did not tally with events observed at polling units across the state, insisting that no amount of what it described as "manufactured" results could conceal what it called the rejection of the ruling party by Edo voters.

The coalition further alleged that the vote figures being celebrated by the APC were intended to project an image of overwhelming political support in Edo State ahead of the 2027 general election and to convince President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the party remained firmly in control of the state.

According to the CRPP, the reality witnessed during the election differed significantly from the official narrative, noting that many polling units recorded low voter participation despite the impressive figures being publicised after the exercise.

The coalition also challenged the Chairman of the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), Jonathan Aifuobhokhan, to explain the deployment of the 10,000 ad hoc staff the commission announced it recruited ahead of the election.

It alleged that many of the personnel were not seen at polling centres and called for accountability over the expenditure on the recruitment exercise.

CRPP further alleged that the APC and EDSIEC connived to inflate the number of ad hoc staff engaged for the election, urging the electoral body to provide a transparent account of how public funds allocated for the exercise were utilised.

Looking ahead, the coalition expressed confidence that the 2027 general election would provide Edo voters with an opportunity to freely determine the state's political direction. 

It urged political leaders to prioritise good governance, transparency and accountability over what it described as questionable electoral statistics, stressing that restoring public confidence in Nigeria's democracy would require credible elections and improved governance.

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