The All Progressives Congress candidate for Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo has won as the new governor of the state, even as the Peoples Democratic Party kicked against the result.
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.
