… Insists Result Does Not Reflect Will of People
By Ngozi Nwankwo
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it 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 in the strongest terms cautioned the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not to announce or declare any result that does not reflect the Will of the people as expressed at the Polling Units. Such will be a recipe for a huge crisis in the State as the people of Edo State will never allow their mandate in illegitimate hands.
Lamenting the alteration of the results, the Party asserted that the rush, venom and hauling of insults with which the APC 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.
a statement by it National Publicity Secretary,Hon. Debo Ologunagba, PDP said, “As Governor Fintiri presented, the results collated from the Polling Units have Asue Ighodalo in 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 had on several occasions alerted Nigerians of this sinister plot by the APC which will be firmly resisted as the APC and its candidate Monday Okpebholo were thoroughly defeated in the election.
“The PDP in the strongest terms cautions the APC and INEC not to announce or declare any result that does not reflect the Will of the people as expressed at the Polling Units. Such will be a recipe for a huge crisis in the State as the people of Edo State will never allow their mandate in illegitimate hands.
“Our Party again cautions INEC not to lose sight of the violent protest that trailed the criminal attempt by the former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Hudu Ari to alter the outcome of the 2023 Governorship election in that State which nearly led to the death of some INEC officials.”
The PDP, therefore, warned that any attempt to change the results of the Edo State governorship election and allocate victory to a defeated candidate will provoke worse consequences.
“INEC must therefore do that which is right in the interest of peace, stability and sustenance of Democracy in Nigeria,” said PDP.