…Vows to Reclaim Mandate Through Legal Means
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the outcome of the September 21, 2024 Edo State Governorship election, condemning it as a “brazen act of rigging” by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in collusion with government-controlled agencies.
At a press conference held on Monday, the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Amb. Umar Iliya Damagum, expressed deep concerns over the state of Nigeria’s democracy, describing the election as a direct threat to the nation’s political stability.
In his remarks, Damagum accused the APC of orchestrating a wide-reaching plot to undermine the will of the people in Edo State.
He claimed that unpatriotic security operatives, alongside compromised officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), engaged in actions designed to rig the election in favor of the APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, at the expense of the rightful winner, PDP’s Asue Ighodalo.
“Nigerians and the world watched in horror as the APC-compromised security operatives and thugs unleashed terror, harass, arrest and detain PDP members and supporters,” Damagum declared.
He alleged that ballot manipulation and substitution of genuine results occurred at the State collation level, altering the votes in favor of Okpebholo.
The PDP had earlier raised alarms about potential rigging, naming key security figures, including AIG Zone 7 Benneth Igwe and Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Nemo Edwin-Iwo, for allegedly collaborating with the APC.
The party also criticized the appointment of Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, a known APC supporter, as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo State. Despite calls for the redeployment of these officials and the release of detained PDP supporters, the PDP’s requests were ignored.
“Our candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, clearly won the election before the figures were altered at the State collation exercise in favor of the defeated APC candidate,” Damagum emphasized.
He called the election results an “assault on the democratic rights” of Edo citizens and reiterated the party’s demand for INEC to review the election within the timeframe stipulated by Section 65 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The PDP urged INEC to announce the results based solely on the genuine votes cast at polling units, warning that failure to do so would further undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.
“The people of Edo State clearly chose Dr. Asue Ighodalo as the next Governor of their State, and only their Will as expressed at the Polling Units must be allowed to stand,” Damagum insisted.
PDP however called on Nigerians and the international community to stand in solidarity with Edo State, rejecting what they described as a “fraudulent election.” The party promised to pursue every legal means available to reclaim its mandate.
