The Peoples Democratic Party has accused Independent National Electoral Commission, and the All Progressives Congress of trying to change the political will of Edo people.
The party on Sunday, insisted that its Edo state governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, won the 2024 governorship election.
PDP in a statement made available to newsmen, by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said that the results of the gubernatorial poll, as submitted by its polling agents across the State, indicated that Ighodalo, clearly won the election.
He added that the same position was echoed by the Chairman of the Edo PDP National Campaign Council, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State and warned both INEC and All Progressives Congress, against tampering with the results.
Ologunagba said: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 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 (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.
“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.
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“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.
“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.”
