NIGERIANS are accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), police, judiciary and politicians of trying to turn the nation into a one -party state.

According to more than 15 Nigerians who spoke with Economy Post, the biggest threat to Nigeria’s young democracy is the abuse of institutional powers to favour politicians of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

These individuals, who are from different political leanings and non-political backgrounds, said they had lost hope in key institutions responsible for election conduct in Nigeria such as INEC, police and judiciary, noting that the current trajectory will be dangerous for Nigeria.

Controversies , trust deficit in INEC

A political analyst, Dr Jude Emoha, who is a lecturer in one of Nigeria’s privately-owned universities, said the pre-Edo election events clearly showed that plans were underway to rig the vote in favour of the ruling party.

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“Weeks before the election, the police arrested several members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Ten of them were in police cells or detention while the election was going on.

“Again, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) appointed by INEC was associated with a sitting minister. The REC, Dr Anugbum Onuoha, is Minister Nyesom Wike’s cousin. A transparent electoral umpire would have redeployed him. You know Mr Wike’s issues with the PDP and particularly Governor Godwin Obaseki. Globally, electoral umpires do everything they can to ensure that their credibility is not in doubt, but not INEC,” Dr Emoha said.

A member of the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State, Mr Kelvin Omorogie, said there were discrepancies in election results, but INEC was reluctant to do anything regarding the sitiuation.

“What is the essence of an electoral umpire if it cannot be trusted,” he said.

“Inflated figures were imputed into the result sheets. We complained and INEC assured that it would investigate the infractions, but the body eventually failed to do anything and went on to declare the results. This shows you the side INEC belongs,” he alleged.

Mr Omorogie’s position is predicated on several infractions seen during the Edo election last Saturday. There was over-voting in some polling stations and there were discrepancies in others. At Osholo Primary School, Oshola, there were 213 registered voters. However, the result sheet shows that the APC scored 352 – higher than the total number of registered voters by 139. The PDP got 52 while LP got one.

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In recognition of this and other discrepancies, INEC released a statement on Saturday promising to investigate the infractions

“The Commission’s attention has been drawn to an allegation of wrong figures entered into polling unit result sheets in the ongoing Edo State Governorship election. This is the second complaint we have received out of the 4,519 polling units used for the election. The Commission will immediately investigate the matter and deal with any proven infraction,” INEC had said.

However, INEC failed to act on them but went ahead to declare the winner.

For Sakpolo Ogbemudia, a member of the PDP, the major challenge is that the courts will likely tilt in in favour of the ruling party.

“Politicians are destroying our institutions. We saw that happening weeks before the Edo election. But when we raised the alarm, everybody said we were alarmists.

“The bigger challenge we have next is the judiciary. I have no trust in them because antecedents tell the better story,” he said.

A Catholic priest, who pleaded anonymity due to his position in Edo State, noted that there were desperate moves by politicians and the police before the election.

“I never believed that the election would be free, fair and credible. The signs were there, ony that the opposition did not see them,” he said.

These are baseless allegations -APC

However, a mamber of the APC in Edo State, Ms Cynthia Okolo, said opposition parties were simply being alarmists and would not be able to prove their cases.

“Most of the allegations are fake and untrue,” she said. “The truth is that Governor Godwin Obaseki fought everybody. He has issues with Oba of Benin, his deputy, did not have a constituted House of Assembly and is a lord over PDP members, which forced many of them to exit the party.

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“Secondly, he is not on ground. His candidate, Mr Asua Ighodalo, is not on ground too. He is a Lagos boy that cannot even speak our language,” she alleged.

She wondered how Mr Ighodalo culd have won the election without the backing of “strongest people” in the state.

Economy Post had, before the election, urged INEC and police not to compromise the Edo State election