The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized the results of the Edo State governorship election, which saw All Progressives Congress candidate Senator Monday Okpebholo emerge as the new governor. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, Chairman of the Edo PDP National Campaign Council, criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission for violating the Electoral Act. Okpebholo won 291,667 votes, defeating PDP candidate Asue Ighodalo with 247,274 votes and Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata with 22,763 votes. The APC won 10 of the 18 Local Government Areas in the state, while the PDP settled for eight. The PDP, in solidarity with its Governors Forum, argued that Ighodalo “clearly won the election.” The PDP defended the results, stating that the attack on Fintiri by the All Progressives Congress only confirmed the APC’s violent desperation to cover its manipulations and steal the mandate freely given to Ighodalo by the people of Edo State.
As Governor Fintiri stated, Asue Ighodalo was clearly leading in the results collated from the Polling Units prior to the APC taking over the state collation process. With the help of some dishonest INEC and security officials, the APC engaged in flagrant manipulation and substitution of the real results with fabricated figures in favor of the APC candidate who lost.
Under the direction of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, the PDP Governors Forum said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) needs to fulfill the public’s expectations as a “impartial umpire.”
The PDP-affiliated state’s governors begged INEC to announce results on Saturday that accurately reflected Edo’s voter base as expressed by their ballots.
The threat to democracy makes this even more important. by the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress government’s comprehensive state takeover attitude, the forum said.
“We expect INEC and all parties involved in the Edo Governorship Elections to respect the sovereign wishes of the people of Edo State and spare the country the unpredictable consequences of a disputed result at this time, as the country perches on the horns of grave economic and security challenges.”
The PDPGF is committed to democratic best practices and peace in Nigeria, ensuring citizens have alternative opportunities to achieve their dreams. They stand with Governors Fintiri, Diri, Agbu Kefas, and Oborevwori of Adamawa, Bayelsa, Taraba, and Delta States for their actions in maintaining the sanctity of the elections. PDP state agent Iyoha Osaigbovo criticized the results, stating that the figures credited to the APC were not a true reflection of the electorate’s wishes. However, acting APC chairman Jarrett Tenebe expressed his approval with the election outcome, stating that Edo North, which his party won, had been a stronghold of the APC and became stronger after the reinstated Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, rejoined the party. Tenebe urged the CoS to leave the APC out of his observations and complaints and direct his complaints to the collation and announcement of results. PDP state chairman Tony Aziegbemi alleged alteration of results and demanded 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.” The ruling party alleged that INEC Result Viewing had inflated the votes to favor the APC.
The chairman said that certain units’ results in the three Local Government Areas of Etsako West, Egor, and Akoko Edo had been tampered with.
The letter stated, “We have discovered that the INEC-appointed Electoral Officers handling the Edo State governorship election have entered results that differ from the ones uploaded on the INEC IREV, thus unfairly inflating votes in the APC’s favor and subtracting PDP votes.”
According to a simple sum of all the votes registered in the polling unit results released on the IREV, the APC received 25,010 votes in the Akoko Edo Local Government Area; nevertheless, the LGA Returning Officer announced 34,847 votes in the EC8C. In reference to the PDP, a total of 18,620 votes were collated from the results uploaded on the IREV; however, 15,865 votes were returned on the EC8C that the LGA Returning Officer announced.
It may be of interest to you that, in Ward 9 of Akoko Edo LGA, the APC received 2,350 total votes from the 36 Polling Unit results that were uploaded to the IREV, whereas 9104 votes were included in the APC’s EC8B result. Nevertheless, 633 votes were recorded in the EC8B, out of 1,359 total votes cast for the PDP. Additionally, results for the aforementioned polling units were returned on the ward result sheet (EC8B) for Ward 6 Akoko Edo LGA, where elections were not held in Units 12, 17, 15, 18, 14, and 16.
The APC received 10,972 votes in the Egor LGA polling unit results uploaded on IREV, while 16,760 votes were cast for the other party. The PDP received 14,485 votes, but 14,658 were returned on the EC8C. The collation of the Egor Local Government Area was moved to the INEC state headquarters, and the PDP agent was not allowed access to participate in the exercise. The ECBC and EC8C were used for the results.
The Nigerian National Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have been accused of rigging the election results in Etsako West. The APC obtained 29,858 votes, while the PDP received 16,712 votes, while the EC8C declared 17,483 votes. The irregularities in the polling units indicate a brazen attempt to steal the PDP’s mandate and embarrass the commission. The state’s Labour Party PRO, Sam Uruopa, said his party is still reviewing the results and will make a position after that. He also expressed disappointment that the electorate was induced with money on Election Day, which undermines the credibility of the process.
Some PDP youths staged a protest at the INEC office, claiming the results were tampered with and that the announced results were different from the polling units. They sang solidarity songs and waved leaves to show their displeasure. A top PDP official stated that the party would consider options, including using legal means to reverse the decision. The party chairman has already written to the INEC chairman in Abuja, calling for a re-count and re-computing of the results. If nothing changes, the party may consider other options, including going to court.
