Edo poll: PDP alleges rigging as APC Okpebholo wins

Interestingly, the Peoples Democratic Party kicked against the result of Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State, which ushered in the All Progressives Congress candidate Senator Monday Okpebholo as the new governor of the state.

Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, who is the Chairman, Edo State Governorship Election National Campaign Council, on Sunday, stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission should be held accountable for violating the Electoral Act.

Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, who came second with 247,274 votes, and Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata, who emerged third with 22, 763 votes.

Of the 18 Local Government Areas in the state, the APC won 10 while the PDP settled for eight, but the PDP, in solidarity with its Governors Forum, insisted Ighodalo “clearly won the election.”

In a statement on Sunday, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba responded by explaining that Fintiri presented results from the polling units showing Ighodalo in a clear lead.

The PDP stated, “The Peoples Democratic Party stands by the results of the Edo State Governorship election as garnered by its polling agents across the state and echoed by the Chairman of the Edo PDP National Campaign Council, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, which indicate that the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, clearly won the election.

“The PDP asserts that the rush, venom, and hauling of insults with which the All Progressives Congress attacked Governor Fintiri only confirms APC’s violent desperation to cover its manipulations and steal the mandate freely given to Dr. Asue Ighodalo by the people of Edo State as reflected in the genuine votes cast at the Polling Units.

“As Governor Fintiri presented, the results collated from the Polling Units have Asue Ighodalo in a clear lead before the state collation exercise was hijacked by the APC, which, in connivance of some unscrupulous INEC and security officials, engaged in blatant alteration and substitution of the genuine results with fabricated figures in favour of the defeated APC candidate.”

The PDP Governors Forum, led by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, said the Independent National Electoral Commission must live up to the expectations of the people as an “impartial umpire.”

The PDP governors urged INEC to announce results that accurately reflected the wishes of the Edo people as expressed through their votes on Saturday.

“This becomes more imperative, especially in the face of the threat to democracy by the total state capture inclination of the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress government,” the forum stated.

“As the country perches on the horns of grave economic and security challenges, it is our expectation that INEC and everyone involved in the Edo Governorship Elections will respect the sovereign wishes of the people of Edo State and spare the nation the unpredictable consequences of a disputed result at this time.

“The PDPGF unequivocally reiterates its commitment to democratic best practices, and the peace and stability of a united Nigeria in which the citizens are not only spared the contrived ordeal of the moment but, more importantly, provided alternative opportunities to realise their legitimate dreams.

“Finally, we stand with our Governors, H/E Fintiri, H/E Diri, H/E Agbu Kefas, and H/E Oborevwori of Adamawa, Bayelsa, Taraba, and Delta States respectively, on all the actions and positions that they have taken on our behalf, with respect to maintaining the sanctity of the elections.”

At the collation centre on Sunday, the state agent of the PDP, Iyoha Osaigbovo, stated that the figures credited to APC were not a true reflection of the wish of the electorate.

Osaigbovo said, “We do not accept this result as it’s clear that the figures were allocated to the APC by INEC to aid their victory. The result, which is not a reflection of the people’s wish, may come to hunt you the people presiding over the announcement.”

However, Jarrett Tenebe, the acting APC chairman in the state, who took exception to Osaigbovo’s reference to his party in almost all his observations, said he was okay with the outcome of the election.

He stated that Edo North, which his party won, had been a stronghold of the APC and became stronger after the state’s reinstated Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, rejoined the party.

Reacting to the claim by Osaigbovo that the BVAS did not function or was tampered with, Tenebe said, “I would like to urge the CoS to leave the APC out of his observations and complaints. He should direct his complaints to the collation and announcement of results.”

However, the state chairman of the PDP, Tony Aziegbemi, alleged alteration of results, demanding re-collation and re-computation in a letter titled, ‘Re: Protest against manufactured vote entries and unjust inflation of APC votes and deduction of PDP votes in the collation of results of Edo State Governorship Election held on 21 September 2024.’

In the letter addressed to the office of the INEC chairman in Abuja and made available to journalists in Benin City on Sunday, the ruling party alleged that the INEC Result Viewing had inflated the votes to favour the APC.

The chairman alleged that results from some units in three Local Government Areas – Akoko Edo, Egor, and Etsako West were manipulated.

The letter read, “It has come to our attention that the Electoral Officers appointed by the INEC for the conduct of the Edo State Governorship election, made entries that are different from the actual results as uploaded on the INEC IREV, thereby unjustly inflating votes in favour of the APC and deducting the votes of the PDP.

“In Akoko Edo Local Government Area, a simple collation of all the votes recorded in the polling units results uploaded on the IREV shows that the APC obtained 25,010 votes while 34,847 votes was recorded in the EC8C declared by the LGA Returning Officer. For the PDP, a collation of the votes from the results uploaded on the IREV is 18,620 but 15,865 was returned on the EC8C declared by the LGA Returning Officer.

“It would interest you that in Ward 9 of Akoko Edo LGA, from the 36 Polling Unit results uploaded on the IREV, the total votes obtained by APC is 2,350 while 9104 was entered into the EC8B result for APC. However, the total votes for PDP is 1,359 while 633 were entered in the EC8B. Also, in Ward 6 Akoko Edo LGA, where elections were not held in Ward 6 Units 12, 17, 15, 18, 14, and 16, results were returned for the said polling units in the ward result sheet (EC8B).”

It added, “In Egor LGA,  a simple collation of all the votes recorded in the polling unit results uploaded on the IREV shows that the APC obtained 10,972 votes while 16,760 votes were recorded in the ECBC declared by the LGA Returning Officer. For the PDP, a collation of the votes from the results uploaded on the IREV is 14,485 but 14,658 were returned on the EC8C declared by the LGA Returning Officer. It would interest you to note that the collation of the Egor Local Government Area was not done at the designated LGA centre but was moved to the INEC state headquarters and the PDP agent was not allowed access to be part of the exercise.

“In Etsako West, a simple collation of all the votes recorded in the polling unit results uploaded on the IREV shows that the APC obtained 29,858 votes while 32,107 votes were recorded in the EC8C declared by the LGA Returning Officer. For the PDP, a collation of the votes from the results uploaded on the IREV is 16,712 but 17,483 was returned on the EC8C declared by the LGA Returning Officer.

“The above highlighted irregularities which are very apparent are extremely scandalous and a brazen attempt to steal the mandate of the PDP and also a terrible embarrassment to the commission.”

The state’s Labour Party PRO, Sam Uruopa, told The PUNCH that his party was still reviewing the results and would come up with a position after that.

When asked if he thought that INEC skewed the result in favour of the APC, he replied, “After we review the result we will come up with a position. It is, however, disheartening that the electorate was induced with money on Election Day, which puts a dent on the credibility of the process.”

Youths protest

Some youths, who are members of the PDP, staged a protest at the office of INEC against the results. They alleged that the results had been tampered with, adding that the results announced were different from what transpired at the polling units.

Though they were restricted to Ramat Park in Ikpoba Hill area of the city by security operatives, the youths sang solidarity songs while some waved leaves to show their displeasure.

Meanwhile, a top official of the PDP told The PUNCH that the party would consider options it has, including using legal means to reverse the decision.

He noted that the party chairman had already written to the INEC chairman in Abuja, calling for a re-count and re-computing of the results.

He said, “The idea of reclaiming our mandate in the court is not a bad one but the state chairman of the party has already written a letter to the INEC Chairman’s office in Abuja and we are hoping for a favourable reply.

“However, if nothing changes, we will have to consider other options, which may also include going to court.”

The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, urged the citizens to maintain calm and not resort to violence and destruction of property following the announcement of Okpebholo as winner of the poll.

He said, “In the last few months, the various political parties have embarked on very rigorous campaigns to sell their respective candidates for the office of governor to the people of Edo State in an exercise which came to a climax yesterday with the gubernatorial election.

“The attractive thing about democracy is the power it bestows on the people to choose who governs them. Therefore, when this power is blatantly seized from the people, it is not just a tragedy, but a travesty of democracy.

“Regrettably, the outcome of the September 21st governorship election appears to have daunted the spirit of many Edo people who feel powerless in the face of the brute force of the institutions that are supposed to protect them. It is therefore understandable that many people feel sad and aggrieved.

“But in the midst of this despair, I am urging all my fellow Edo citizens to maintain calm and not resort to violence and destruction of property in spite of this provocation.

He was at the Benin City residence of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole alongside other chieftains of the party, including Philip Shaibu, the state’s Deputy Governor.

Okpebholo thanked Edo people for standing behind him and promised not to fail them.

Oshiomhole, on his part, said, “When some people say election is about do-or-die, we say no it is about choice and power, the people having the power to hire and fire even those that have the power to sign the death warrant. Power resides only with God.

“God has decreed Senator Okpebholo to make up for the eight years disaster of Obaseki and Asue together. We did all those campaign without violence.

“Edo will now be governed by a man enriched with native wisdom, a man familiar with the custom and tradition of Edo State, a man who has used his resources to show love to the community. He has crude credentials in terms of community service. God has put those who said there will be a bloodbath in shame.”

On his part, Senator Akpabio said the victory was a turning point in the politics of Edo State.

“The will of God for the people is nothing but happiness, joy, and prosperity. The outcome of the election is a reflection of the confidence Nigerians have continued to express in President Bola Tinubu that his administration is doing its best to turn around the fortunes of Nigeria.

“What has happened in Edo is a clear reflection of what will happen in Ondo in November.”