Dan Orbih: Edo PDP Chairman

Even while the final result of the Edo state governorship election is yet to be announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the leadership of the Edo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said it rejects.

But in a swift reaction, the Special Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Political Matters, Hon. Charles Idahosa, asked the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to go court if he feels aggrieved about the conduct of the election, instead of engaging in an unlawful protest.‎

Announcing the rejection of the results, the PDP chairman in the state, Chief Dan Orbih, ‎described the figures as announced by the INEC as predetermined by the Commission and the Edo state government of APC.

He alleged that the state government connived with officials of INEC to manipulated the results of the poll at the Commission’s state headquarter.

According to him; “INEC started the process of announcing the results and at some point, they suspended the announcement yesterday (Wednesday) and promised to continue the announcement today.

“From the time we started getting feedbacks from our agents and independent observers, we have been taking out time to look at the results side by side with what INEC has so far announced to the people. We have observed that there is a wide difference between the figures from our party agents and the independent observers with what INEC is out announcing at their headquarters in Benin City.

“From the results INEC is announcing,  it has confirmed the position of the party as earlier expressed by the state PDP’s Publicity Secretary, during a press briefing 48 hours to the election, that concrete evidence and reliable information reaching the party reveals that the APC had written the result ahead of the election.”

He added that “from the results issued by INEC presiding officers at the various polling units and wards, if you put the results together, PDP is clearly ahead of the APC in all the 18 Local Government Councils. When you calculate the final results, there is no way we will not win this election with a minimum if 30,000 votes. We are going to reject the results currently announced by INEC officials at the headquarters in Benin City.”

Orbih lamented that even areas that are PDP stronghold were cancelled by INEC on the ground that Card Readers in those areas failed. “Looking at what they have come out to announce, even areas where we won overwhelmingly, INEC have come out to cancel most of the votes, saying that the card readers did not work.”

On his part, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu said the results currently being announced is a sham and does not reflect the huge turnout of votes in the state, particularly, as he raised concerns of the alleged cancellation of areas allegedly won overwhelming by the PDP.

Ize-Iyamu, who frowned at the figures currently being announced by INEC, said the the result is unacceptable and a rape on democracy.

He said the result of the election was written at the State government house in Benin City, ahead of the yesterday’s election, with connivance of some INEC officials and the security agencies.‎

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On his part, Idahosa who was reacting to the PDP’s call for cancellation of the election, said: “Ize-iyamu actions from day one showed that he is not ready for election. Instead of focusing on issues, he was busy insulting Adams Oshiomhole, that has played his role as Governor.

“The desperation of Ize-iyamu was further jurpadised by Chief Lucky Igbinedion, who said his family will produce the next Governor of Edo state. Edo people are not fools.”

Hon. Charles Idahosa further condemned the unwarranted protest by PDP when results were still being awaited from some local government areas.

He therefore called on security agents to do their job of protecting lives and properties of the people, noting that “nobody is above the law.”

Meanwhile, following close to violent protests by PDP youths, security has been beefed up around Benin City.