Monday Okpebholo and Asue Ighodalo

By Jethro Ibileke

Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State, Asuen Ighodalo, on Thursday disclosed that some persons have urged him to drop his appeal against the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the election, as both of them are from the same senatorial district.

Besides, he alleged that some of his witnesses were offered between ₦30 and ₦40 million for not appearing in court to testify in the case.

Ighodalo further alleged that a farm of one of his witnesses was burnt to intimidate him from testifying for the party at the election petition tribunal.

The PDP candidate who stated these while speaking at the party’s stakeholders’ meeting in Benin City, however, disclosed that the man dared them and appeared at the court to testify.

“Some of them were also offered between ₦30 million and ₦40 million not to come to the court. We, PDP, don’t have that kind of money to give except only transport fares. They rejected the offers and testified for the party.

“This family is remarkable. I haven’t had the opportunity to publicly thank everybody since the election. Despite the intimidation, despite the money spent, despite everything that they did to us, we won that election hands down”, he alleged.

Ighodalo, who expressed confidence that the party would reclaim its mandate from the courts, having already filed an appeal, assured that he would fight the battle to the end.

He also reminded the members of the forthcoming Edo Central senatorial district and Ovia Federal Constituency elections, urging them to come out en masse to vote for whoever emerged as the party’s candidates.

Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the Chairman of the caretaker committee of the PDP in the State, Tony Aziegbemi, reiterated that his committee is the only known and recognised leadership of the party in the state.

Aziegbemi,  who said the party is very strong in the state, assured the members that the party would reclaim its mandate from the court.

Also speaking, the chairman of the occasion and a former Governor of the State, Lucky Igbinedion, stated that the party is in court because it won the governorship election.

He, however, advised the party’s members not to quarrel with anybody but to continue to woo more members to the party.

On his part, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi, who described the stakeholders’ meeting as very important, noted that it conveyed a clear message to the country that the  PDP in Edo State is strong and vibrant.

Ikimi alleged that those who are now opposing the party but pretending to still be members are committing criminal acts.