Ahmadu Fintiri, the Governor of Adamawa State, has strongly criticized the outcome of the recent Edo State governorship election, expressing deep concern for the state of democracy in Nigeria. He said that the result of the election, which took place on September 21, 2024, made him “weep for Nigeria’s democracy.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Monday Okpebholo, the candidate from the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the Edo election. However, Fintiri, like many others, questioned the fairness and credibility of the entire process.
In a statement released on Sunday, September 23, 2024, Fintiri described the election as “shameful” and criticized the various irregularities reported during the voting and collation processes.
According to him, the election was marred by several undemocratic actions, including vote-buying, the disruption of collation processes, and discrepancies between the number of accredited voters and the final tally of votes.
“I weep for Nigeria’s democracy after witnessing the shameful Edo Gubernatorial poll. The APC’s desperate attempts to discredit me by falsely claiming I announced results won’t distract from the real issue.
“What’s truly shameful is APC’s national chairman flying into Edo with a private jet on election day, defying movement restrictions, while their governors used armoured escorts to intimidate voters.
“This blatant disregard for democratic norms is the real brigandage. Nigerians are outraged, slamming INEC for compromising and favoring APC.
“We must condemn this rape of democracy and demand accountability. The world is watching, and Nigeria deserves better,” Fintiri said.
