Asue-Ighodalo

By Jethro Ibileke 

Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 21 September governorship election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has vowed to use every lawful and legitimate means to retrieve and reclaim his victory at the polls.

Ighodalo who stated this during a life radio programme in Benin, declared that he has absolute confidence in the ability of the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.

He insisted that notwithstanding the notion or perception of many people, as a lawyer of 40 years, his faith in the judiciary to remedy every wrong remains unshaken.

He, however, said if in the end, the Supreme Court in the land feels otherwise, he would abide by it but stressed that from the evidence he has gathered and the experience of the members of his legal team, he was sure to win the case now in court.

The PDP flagbearer pointed to the litany of cases that followed his nomination as the candidate of the PDP, saying:

“I won all the 15 cases that were brought against me from the primary. And so I cannot say I don’t have faith in the judiciary. I certainly do. It remains the last hope of the common man.”

Narrating his experience during the material inspection period, he condemned what he described as INEC’s show of undue sympathy to the APC when the PDP had a legitimate court order to be allowed to inspect materials needed to aid the filing of his petition.

He again, accused the INEC, Police and the APC of working together to frustrate the efforts of the PDP and himself to file the petition knowing very well that it was time-bound.

Ighodalo specifically singled out the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) and the Commission’s Legal Officer who engaged in sundry time-wasting gimmicks and all forms of obstructions.

He warned that if the kind of electoral heist just witnessed in Edo continues in the country and is not reversed, democracy will be imperilled. He then thanked the people of Edo for standing by him and urged them not to allow themselves to be provoked by the antics of those who do not mean well to them.