The results of Saturday’s Edo State governorship election, which saw Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress emerge victorious, were met with resistance by the Peoples Democratic Party.
The chairman of the Edo State Governorship Election National Campaign Council and governor of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Fintiri, declared on Sunday that the Independent National Electoral Commission ought to be held responsible for breaking the Electoral Act.
With 291,667 votes, Okpebholo defeated Asue Ighodalo of the PDP (247,274) and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (227,763), who finished in third.
The PDP only managed to win eight of the state’s 18 LGAs, while the APC took ten. However, the PDP declared that Ighodalo “clearly won the election,” standing in unity with its Governors Forum.
PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba reacted in a statement on Sunday, stating that Fintiri had provided results from the polling places that put Ighodalo ahead by a significant margin.
“The Peoples Democratic Party stands by the results of the Edo State Governorship election as garnered by its polling agents throughout the state and echoed by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, Chairman of the Edo PDP National Campaign Council, which indicate that the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, clearly won the election,” the PDP declared in a statement.
The PDP claims that the All Progressives Congress’s swift, vicious, and insulting attack on Governor Fintiri only serves to highlight the party’s violent desperation to hide its manipulations and seize the mandate that the people of Edo State freely granted to Dr. Asue Ighodalo, as evidenced by the actual votes that were cast at the polling places.
“As Governor Fintiri stated, Asue Ighodalo was in a clear lead in the results collated from the Polling Units prior to the APC seizing control of the state collation process. With the help of some dishonest INEC and security officials, the APC engaged in flagrant manipulation and replacement 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 governors of the PDP-affiliated state pleaded with INEC to declare results on Saturday that fairly represented the electorate of Edo as represented by their votes.
The forum said, “This becomes more imperative, especially in light of the threat to democracy by the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress government’s total state capture inclination.”
“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 reaffirms its unwavering dedication to democratic ideals and the tranquility and steadiness of a unified Nigeria where the people are not only spared the fabricated suffering of the moment but, more crucially, given substitute avenues to fulfill their rightful aspirations.
“Lastly, we support all of the actions and stances that our governors—H/E Fintiri, H/E Diri, H/E Agbu Kefas, and H/E Oborevwori of Adamawa, Bayelsa, Taraba, and Delta States, respectively—have taken on our behalf in order to uphold the integrity of the elections.”
Iyoha Osaigbovo, the PDP’s state agent, claimed at the collation center on Sunday that the results attributed to the APC did not accurately represent the wishes of the electorate.
Osaigbovo declared, “We do not accept this result since it is evident that INEC gave the APC the numbers in order to support their win. The persons in charge of the announcement can come after you for the outcome, which does not represent the wishes of the people.
But Jarrett Tenebe, the state’s acting APC chairman, who objected to Osaigbovo’s almost constant mention of his party, declared he was satisfied with the election’s result.
He said that the APC had a stronghold in Edo North, which his party had won, and that this strength had increased when the state’s Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, who had been reinstated, joined the party.
Tenebe responded to Osaigbovo’s allegation that the BVAS was tampered with or didn’t work by saying, “I would like to urge the CoS to leave the APC out of his observations and complaints.” His grievances ought to be directed toward the compilation and release of the results.
In contrast, 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 September 21, 2024,” Tony Aziegbemi, the PDP’s state chairman, accused results of being manipulated and demanded recollection and recomputation.
The ruling party claimed that the INEC Result Viewing had manipulated the results in favor of the APC in a letter that was sent to the INEC chairman’s office in Abuja and made available to reporters in Benin City on Sunday.
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.”
The APC received 25,010 votes in the Akoko Edo Local Government Area, according to a straightforward total of all the votes recorded in the polling unit results uploaded on the IREV, but 34,847 votes were reported in the EC8C announced by the LGA Returning Officer. A total of 18,620 votes for the PDP 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.
In Egor LGA, a straightforward compilation of all the votes registered in the polling place results submitted on the IREV indicates that 10,972 votes were received by the APC, although 16,760 votes were registered in the ECBC announced by the LGA Returning Officer. A total of 14,485 votes for the PDP were collated from the results uploaded on the IREV; however, 14,658 votes were returned on the EC8C, which was announced by the LGA Returning Officer. You may find it interesting to know that the Egor Local Government Area was collated in the INEC state headquarters rather than the authorized LGA center, and the PDP agent was not permitted to participate in the procedure.
“In Etsako West, the APC received 29,858 votes according to a straightforward collation of all the votes recorded in the polling unit results uploaded on the IREV, whereas 32,107 votes were reported in the EC8C announced by the LGA Returning Officer. A total of 16,712 votes for the PDP were collated from the results uploaded on the IREV; however, 17,483 votes were returned on the EC8C that the LGA Returning Officer announced.
“The aforementioned, glaring irregularities are highly scandalous, a blatant attempt to usurp the PDP’s mandate, and a great embarrassment to the commission.”
Sam Uruopa, the PRO for the state’s Labour Party, told The PUNCH that his organization was still analyzing the results and will provide a statement later.
“After we review the result, we will come up with a position,” he said in response to a question on whether he believed INEC slanted the results in favor of the APC. However, it is depressing that money was used to sway voters on election day, as this undermines the legitimacy of the process.
Young people demonstrate
The PDP’s youth division organized a protest against the results at INEC headquarters. They said that there had been tampering with the results, adding that the results that were declared differed from what actually happened at the polling places.
The young people chanted songs of unity and some waved leaves to express their discontent, even though security personnel had them confined to Ramat Park in the Ikpoba Hill neighborhood of the city.
A senior PDP official informed newsmen that the party will weigh its options, which included taking legal action to overturn the ruling.
He mentioned that the head of the party has already written to the chairman of INEC in Abuja, requesting a re-count and a recalculation of the results.
The state chairman of the party has already submitted a letter to the INEC Chairman’s office in Abuja, and we are expecting for a positive response, he said. “The idea of reclaiming our mandate in the court is not a bad one.”
“If nothing changes, though, we’ll have to think about other options, which might even involve going to court.”
Following Okpebholo’s election victory, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki advised the populace to be peaceful and refrain from using violence or destroying property.
He declared, “The various political parties have been running intense campaigns in the previous several months to pitch their respective candidates to the people of Edo State for the position of governor. This activity culminated yesterday with the gubernatorial election.
The ability for the people to select their own leaders is what makes democracy so appealing. Therefore, it is not only tragic but also a mockery of democracy when this power is openly taken away from the people.
Unfortunately, many Edo people seem to have lost hope after the governorship election on September 21st, since they feel helpless against the powerful institutions that are meant to defend them. Therefore, it makes sense that a lot of individuals are depressed and feeling resentful.
But in the middle of this hopelessness, I’m pleading with all of my Edo neighbors to remain composed and refrain from using violence or causing property damage despite this provocation.
“My prescription to all the good people of Edo State who feel vexed and violated at this time is that peace and justice will always win in the end.”
“Clearly, the amount of impunity and reckless disregard for processes and law that was displayed in this gubernatorial election is obvious to the least discerning,” he continued.
We hope that individuals impacted will pursue redress for this flagrant disdain for the law and procedure because there are mechanisms in place in democracies for handling complaints.
In light of this, I beg all Edo people to carry out their legal business with confidence, knowing that our government is dedicated to their safety and well-being.
“God ordained Okpebholo.”
Senator Godswill Akpabio’s accomplishments as governor of Akwa Ibom State will be replicated in Edo State, according to Senator Okpebholo, the state’s next governor.
Soon after INEC named him the victor of the governorship race held last Saturday, Okpebholo made his statement.
He was present at the former governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole’s home in Benin City, along with other party leaders, including deputy governor Philip Shaibu.
Okpebholo expressed gratitude to the Edo people for their support and vowed to keep them in the loop.
“When some people say that elections are about do-or-die, we say no—rather, elections are about choice and power, with the people having the authority to hire and fire even those who have the authority to sign a death warrant,” stated Oshiomhole. The only one with power is God.
“Senator Okpebholo has been appointed by God to atone for the eight-year misfortune of Obaseki and Asue combined. During all those campaigns, we never used violence.
“A man who has used his resources to show love to the community and who is rich in native wisdom, customs, and traditions will now be in charge of Edo State.” His community service record is a bit shabby. Those who predicted a slaughter have been shamed by God.
Senator Akpabio, on his part, claimed that the win marked a sea change in Edo State politics.
God wants everyone to live happy, joyful, and prosperous lives. The election’s result is a reflection of the faith Nigerians have maintained in President Bola Tinubu and his administration’s ability to alter the country’s fortunes.
“What has occurred in Edo is a direct mirror of what transpires in Ondo come November.”
Buhari and Tinubu speak
for Sunday, President Bola Tinubu congratulated Okpebholo for winning the election.
A statement signed by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy, contained the congratulations message from the President and was made public on Sunday night.
Tinubu praised the governors of Edo State, the national leaders of the party, and Edo State for their tireless efforts in securing victory.
“The triumph demonstrated the populace’s endorsement of the governing party, its progressive principles, its plan for economic restructuring, and its dedication to enhancing the quality of life for Nigerians,” the statement stated.
Instead of taking pride in his win, he advised Okpebholo to view it as a difficult call to duty.
In order to secure Edo State’s development, he also urged him to show generosity by interacting with his political opponents and bringing the people of Edo State together.
The President encouraged everyone who felt wronged by the results of the election to pursue legal recourse.
“I applaud INEC and our security agencies for their tireless efforts to ensure a smooth, peaceful, and successful exercise that went off without a hitch in most cases.
The President declared, “INEC has once again shown that it is committed to arranging a free and fair election in our nation.”
In addition, Okpebholo received congratulations from the recently deceased President Muhammadu Buhari on his “prized, historic electoral victory.”
In a statement released by Garba Shehu, Buhari expressed his high hopes that the leaders of the winning party and the new administration would cooperate to uphold the state’s democratic principles and continue on its current course.
I extend my sincerest congratulations to the APC and Senator Monday Okpebholo, the election winner, on their historic success. I also wish Edo State and its people a fresh start.
“I sincerely hope that both the victors and the losers will collaborate to uphold the state’s development trajectory and enhance democracy.
“I applaud the numerous election officials who work hard to enhance their performance with every election, as well as the law enforcement organizations for their efforts in guaranteeing a peaceful election.
He prayed that Nigeria, the most populous nation on the continent, will keep making amazing development under democracy.
“I strongly believe that the election in Edo, though tense at the beginning, is a reflection of the confidence that Nigerians continue to express in President Tinubu,” said Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who was in Benin for the election, following the announcement of Okpebholo as the winner.
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