The Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, has strongly criticised the outcome of the Edo State governorship election, expressing deep concerns over the state of Nigeria’s democracy.
His reaction follows the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, which named Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the September 21 election.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Fintiri condemned the conduct of the election, describing it as “shameful” and raising doubts about the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process.

“I weep for Nigeria’s democracy after witnessing the shameful Edo Gubernatorial poll,” Fintiri said, adding that the results of the election signified a troubling trend for the nation.
Fintiri further criticised the APC’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, accusing him of defying movement restrictions on election day.
According to the Adamawa governor, Ganduje flew into Edo State on a private jet, disregarding the movement ban imposed by the Nigeria Police.
Fintiri described this action as a blatant violation of democratic norms and an indication of how deeply flawed the electoral process had become.
“The 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, is a blatant disregard for democratic principles,” Fintiri stated.
He also alleged widespread electoral malpractice during the election, including vote-buying, disruption of collation processes, and inflated results that showed more votes than accredited voters.
According to Fintiri, these actions undermined public trust in Nigeria’s democracy, which he described as being “under attack.”
“We must condemn this rape of democracy and demand accountability,” Fintiri added.
“The reported vote-buying, disruption of collation processes, and suspicious results with more votes than accredited voters are alarming and strike at the heart of democracy.”
Fintiri also addressed accusations by the APC that he had attempted to discredit the election results.
He clarified that he had only shared figures from INEC’s IReV portal, which collates results from various Local Government Areas, and reiterated that the focus should remain on the integrity of the election process.
“The APC’s desperate attempts to discredit me by falsely claiming I announced results won’t distract from the real issue,” he said.
“Nigerians are outraged, slamming INEC for compromising and favouring APC.
The world is watching, and Nigeria deserves better.”
Fintiri’s condemnation comes amid growing concerns from political stakeholders and civil society organisations about the conduct of elections in Nigeria, with calls for electoral reforms to strengthen the country’s democratic institutions.
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