BY CHIJIOKE CHARLES
Controversy has trailed the conduct of Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State following the appearance of the Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe, in a vest associated with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), allegedly serving as an accredited election observer.
The controversy erupted as the INEC declared incumbent governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji of the APC, winner of the governorship election after polling 319,224 votes to defeat his closest challengers.
Tenebe’s picture in an INEC-customised vest, which went viral yesterday, has triggered criticisms from opposition parties and a constitutional lawyer, amid questions over why a serving state chairman of the ruling party would be allowed to participate in an election exercise and play a role expected to be independent and neutral.
The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP), in a statement by its chairman, Dr Samson Isibor and secretary, Nkama Waribe, described the development as disturbing and embarrassing, warning that it represents a dangerous erosion of confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
It alleged that allowing a top APC official to operate in what appeared to be an INEC observer capacity reinforces public fears that the electoral body is increasingly compromised.
The coalition said the development raised questions about the independence and neutrality of the INEC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Consequently, the Coalition of Registered Political Parties hereby declares that it has lost confidence in the ability of the present leadership of INEC to guarantee a level playing field for all political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections,” it stated.
A constitutional lawyer, Malachy Ugwommadu, said: “I have been the national president of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) between 2015 and 2019, and in those moments, we observed elections across the country and it is because it is a non-governmental organisation and non-partisan
“So, when a partisan political actor in the status of a state chairman of a political party comes to a different state as an observer, what is he observing? He has no clear vision but a biased vision.
“So, it raises a serious moral question and poses a difficult question for INEC to answer, as in what capacity was he accredited? What are the threshold he had passed as a party chairman to now come to a different state as an election observer? I don’t think it is proper”.
Reacting, the spokesman of the APC in Edo State, Uwadiae Igbinigie, said Tenebe did not breach any law or protocol by serving as an election observer in the Ekiti State governorship election.
“The fact that he is a politician and an APC member doesn’t obliterate his right; he is a Nigerian and he acted within the purview of the law. He didn’t take part in the election, but merely observed the process,” he said.
Igbinigie said Jarret was accredited by the INEC, saddled with the responsibility of accrediting observers for any election.
He added: “And anyone who has anything to prove that he was not accredited by INEC should prove it. It is not in any way a mis-normal. The president of this country has been appointed as an international observer in other nations of the world. Why do people not say it is not good? Is he not a politician?”
The controversy erupted as the INEC declared incumbent governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji of the APC, winner of the governorship election after polling 319,224 votes to defeat his closest challengers.
ADC rejects result
The result of the governorship poll was rejected by the (ADC) candidate, Ambassador Dare Bejide, who alleged widespread vote-buying, over-voting, result alterations and intimidation during the exercise.
Bejide claimed that political appointees and security operatives were deployed in a manner that turned parts of the election into what he described as a “war zone,” adding that bags of money were openly moved around polling units to influence voters.
The INEC’s Chief Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Professor Adenike Oladiji, who declared the final result about 3am on Sunday, disclosed that Oyebanji polled a total of 319,224 votes to defeat his two closest challengers, Dr Wole Oluyede of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Bejide of the ADC.
The PDP candidate garnered 40,543 votes; while the ADC candidate finished third with 12,872 votes.
On his part, Governor Oyebanji described his re-election as a renewed call to continue his service to the people.
Also, the APC, in a statement by its spokesman, Felix Morka, congratulated Governor Oyebanji on his re-election, describing his victory as epic as he became the first incumbent governor to win reelection in the state’s contemporary democratic history.
