PDP rejects Edo election results, plans legal action
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally rejected the Edo State governorship election results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
At a press conference in Abuja on Monday, PDP acting National Chairman Umar Damagum urged concerned Nigerians to back the party’s stance against the election results.
INEC announced on Saturday that Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress won the election, securing 291,667 votes. He defeated the PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, who received 247,274 votes, while the Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata placed third with 22,763 votes.
Out of the 18 local government areas in the state, the APC secured victory in 10, while the PDP won in 8.
READ ALSO: I’m glad that I helped APC win Edo election – Deputy gov, Philip Shuaibu
Damagum asserted that the PDP candidate, Ighodalo, was the rightful winner of the election and claimed that the election fell short of essential democratic standards.
He stated, “The PDP unequivocally rejects the final results of the Edo State Governorship election as declared by INEC, as they do not meet the minimum standards for democracy. The results do not reflect the true will and aspirations of the people, in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, and INEC Guidelines for State Governorship Elections.”
“The PDP demands that INEC, within the timeframe stipulated by Section 65 of the Electoral Act, 2022, review the Edo State governorship election and announce results only based on the genuine votes cast at the polling units.”
Damagum announced that the PDP would challenge the results declared by INEC in court and urged the people of Edo to remain strong and steadfast. He stated, “From unfolding political events in the country, the most recent being the blatant rigging of the Saturday, September 21, 2024, Edo State Governorship election by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in collusion with government-controlled agencies, it is clear that our democracy is under threat.
“As you know, and as widely reported across all media segments, the 2024 Edo State Governorship election was egregiously compromised by the APC in collusion with unpatriotic security operatives and heavily procured officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who trampled on the votes of the people in defiance of the law and with total disregard for the sovereign will of the people of Edo State.
“You may recall that the PDP has alerted the public on several occasions about this sinister plot by the APC to subvert the election, citing the roles allegedly played by AIG Zone 7, Benneth Igwe, and Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Nemo Edwin-Iwo, along with the appointment of a known APC supporter, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, as the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).
“Several demands by our party for the redeployment of these officials, as well as the release of all arrested PDP members and supporters, fell on deaf ears, further validating the PDP’s suspicion of a top-level conspiracy to rig the Edo State governorship election.”
The PDP acting national chairman emphasized that the people of Edo State chose Ighodalo as their next governor and that only their will, as expressed at the polling units, should be respected. He added, “Nigerians and the world watched in horror as APC-compromised security operatives and thugs unleashed terror, harassing, arresting, and detaining PDP members and supporters. This created a siege mentality among the people, allowing APC agents and procured INEC officials to manipulate the ballot process, substituting genuine results from the polling units with fictitious figures and transferring the victory clearly won by our candidate, Asue Ighodalo, to the defeated APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo.
“As Nigerians already know, despite the violence, intimidation, and manipulation by the APC, results obtained from the polling units show that our candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, clearly won the election before the figures were altered during the state collation exercise in favor of the defeated APC candidate.
“The PDP calls on all Nigerians and lovers of democracy around the world to stand in solidarity with the people of Edo State in rejecting this assault on their democratic rights, as witnessed in the Edo State Governorship election.”
When asked about their confidence in the judiciary, Damagum stated, “In this election, we shall once again test the judiciary’s readiness to deliver justice where it is needed. Therefore, we cannot rule out a situation where justice will be served, but the most important thing is that we will subject them to greater scrutiny in the eyes of Nigerians. They say that when the judicial system does not work, then you don’t have a country. I don’t know if we will still have a country.”
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at Neptune Prime.
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