Atedo Peterside has called for national accountability after exposing fraudulent election practices in Edo State, where INEC officials allegedly manipulated results to favor a particular political party. Peterside’s revelations have raised concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system.
Atedo Peterside, President of ANAP Foundation and Founder of IBTC Bank, has raised the alarm over glaring irregularities in the Edo State election results, accusing officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of manipulating figures. During an interview on Arise TV, Peterside expressed his shock at the fraudulent figures he observed on INEC’s IREV portal, calling for immediate accountability.
“I went on to INEC IREV after hearing numerous complaints from people in the field, hoping to dismiss their claims as baseless,” Atedo Peterside stated. “But what I saw there shocked me. In a region where the average voter turnout was about 22%, one particular political party, and we all know which one, was posting a staggering 98.5% turnout in some polling booths. Worse still, in some cases, the total number of votes counted exceeded the number of accredited voters!”
Peterside clarified that he does not blame political parties for these irregularities, as they are merely participants in the electoral process. He laid the blame squarely on INEC, which he accused of going “rogue” since the presidential election.
“INEC is the referee, and they are responsible for the integrity of the election. My data came directly from INEC IREV. INEC must explain these fraudulent results to the nation,” Peterside demanded. He further criticized rogue officials within INEC, stating that their actions undermine the credibility of the electoral system.
In his analysis, Atedo Peterside observed that no other political party—including the PDP or Labour Party—benefitted from such skewed results. The electoral fraud, according to him, was orchestrated to benefit a single party, which he said had the ability to generate votes far beyond the accredited voters, a clear indication of rigging.
“I hope INEC will be held accountable,” he emphasized, adding that INEC’s integrity had been commendable in the Osun election but had drastically deteriorated thereafter.
Peterside’s outspoken criticism and revelation have sparked widespread calls for a thorough investigation into INEC’s conduct during the elections, with many Nigerians questioning the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
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