CITIZEN MONITORS PRESS CENTER:

The decision of the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal on April 2, 2025, to uphold the declared outcome of the last gubernatorial election has further deepened public mistrust in Nigeria’s democratic institutions. What was expected to be an opportunity for judicial intervention and correction has instead reinforced concerns about institutional complicity and a systemic failure to protect the people’s mandate.

Throughout the election, numerous reports of result collation breakdowns, non-transmission of polling unit outcomes, and interference at collation centers were documented by observers and citizens alike. These irregularities were not addressed meaningfully by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), nor were they given sufficient weight in the judicial process.

The result is a growing sense among citizens that both the electoral body and the courts are no longer neutral arbiters of democracy but actors in a broken system. When institutions designed to safeguard democratic order appear indifferent to public outcry and evidence, they risk losing legitimacy entirely.

We call on the Nigerian judiciary to reflect deeply on its role in this fragile democratic moment. The courts must rise above technicalities and political pressure to protect democratic integrity. The survival of our democracy depends not just on elections, but on the willingness of our institutions to ensure that every vote counts—and is seen to count.

More than ever, Nigerians must reclaim their stake in the democratic process. Democracy is not just about what happens on election day—it is about accountability, transparency, and justice every day after.