A civil rights organization has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) consistent for a credible, free, fair and popular election in 2023.

HEDA made the call in a statement on Sunday after expressing worry in connection with what it alleged was inconsistency in the outcome of the Osun governorship poll of July 16, 2022.

According to HEDA, “On July 18, 2022, two days after a governorship election was conducted in Osun State, the APC candidate and Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, reportedly applied for the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the BVAS Report for the election. The world had commended the conduct of the election on the basis of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

“INEC was on record to have after the statutory payments were made on July 29, 2022, issued the CTC of the BVAS Report to APC and Oyetola.

“APC and Oyetola served INEC their Petition challenging results in 749 polling units on the account of suspected over-voting they believed took place in those polling units.

“INEC is alleged to, having discovered the palpable inconsistencies between figures recorded as accredited votes on the EC8A (result sheet) and the BVAS Report, tampered with the contents of the original BVAS report to protect the mandate awarded to Ademola Adeleke and PDP, at the expense of credible election, by issuing a fresh CTC to the defendants, claiming the CTC earlier issued to APC and Oyetola was incomplete and unsynchronised.”

The group added: “Considering the Ekiti and Osun elections were conducted and declared on the basis of BVAS, How possible and plausible is it for INEC to have declared a winner from an unsynchronized BVAC, considering the BVAS report issued was more than 10 days after the Osun election?

“As an Organisation committed to the fight against corruption; financial and electoral, HEDA is concerned about this development. The organisation observed the Osun election and engaged the process in collaboration with anti-corruption agencies to campaign against vote buying.

“Noting this particular serious inconsistency and those associated with the senatorial tickets attempts by the current Senate President in Yobe and Former Governor Godswill Akpabio in Akwa Ibom, INEC is charged to do better and remain consistent for a credible, free, fair and popular election in 2023. Furthermore, the anti-corruption agencies are further charged to vigorously monitor officials of the Commission to avoid inducement and compromise of the 2023 elections.

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