• Says we are studying the results
• Ask supporters to be calm!
Kingsley Abavo, (Managing Editor), Benin
The National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates: Monday Okpebholo and Denis Idahosa as winner of the Saturday, 21 September, 2024 Governorship election in Edo State has been termed; a day light robbery of Edo voters' mandate for the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie.
The media team of the Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council led by Rev. Olu Martins on Wednesday, made the assertion while briefing the media in Benin on the plans of the PDP as to the way forward after the INEC declaration of the Governorship election results.
It was rather a contestation between the PDP and the security operatives led by the Nigeria Police on the one hand, and the INEC, the team said.
"Two of them were in agreement to rape democracy and declare who they have just declared as the Governor - elect in the just concluded Edo Governorship election."
The form EC8A is the most important document in the election the team pointed out; because that was the document the results from the over 4,000 units are imputed, it added.
As every other form in the election are collation centres "so what we saw on the 'IReV portal was the posting of results from each of the various units.
"We are aware; that as at 9 O'clock Saturday night, 95 percent of the results from the over 4,000 units had already been posted on the IReV.
"The implication is that one can begin to do the calculations which we did in our own situation room."
Referencing election monitors which the team termed as very credible, it said at the units level, the election went smoothly and everyone behaved themselves.
Apparently, when the APC noticed that it was losing the election, it switched to other plans, the team alleged.
As it accused the INEC for compromising the process in favour of the APC in active collaboration with the Nigeria Police.
Further, it said INEC permitted agents of the APC to enter the collation centre while denying agents of the PDP; with results of Oredo, Egor and Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Council Areas moved to the INEC headquarters; the State collation centre.
The INEC office was like a department of the APC with the officials being hostile to members of the PDP even the Governor, Godwin Obaseki, it noted.
The team said by its own calculation; with 95 percent of the results on the INEC IReV portal, the PDP was already sure of victory with over 45,000 votes difference, even if the remaining five percent of votes were for the APC.
But the results were manipulated against the PDP when they got to the INEC office, it alleged adding; what happened is not democracy as it is globally known, but democracy under the whims and caprices of one individual; the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu it further alleged.
Continuing, the team accused the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of having promised to give Edo to the APC hence the INEC and all other officials acted his script.
Saying; that Asue only represented the mass voters of Edo who they claim gave their mandate to him and the PDP, the team said they have been asked to congratulate the APC and their candidates, without mentioning names.
"But we said; we will not congratulate them because the election was not free, it was not fair, and it was not credible.
"This is not just our opinion; it is the preponderance of opinion of people who feel the same thing; people who monitored the election.
"What we want our supporters to know is that we are studying all the results; we have seen several cases of over voting!"
It said from the Form EC8A against the results announced by the INEC, there will be several deductions which will be in favour of the PDP and prove beyond reasonable doubts; that Edo people voted for Asue Ighodalo.
"There is no greater proof than after the election; there were no celebrations even after the announcement of the results by the INEC."
Talking about the election process; the team said: if the process was fair and a Dundee emerged as a Governor of Edo State, "we will be the first to embrace and congratulate him.
"But not when you have a rape of democracy and by all definition, the worst election ever INEC have conducted especially in this fourth republic."
They assert; that if the election was to be conducted ten times over; they will repeatedly vote Asue Ighodalo as they could not have jettisoned meritocracy on the altar of mediocrity.
"We are the winner; they are the losers" the team declared adding; that no matter how long, the truth must prevail!
"INEC must tell us the true result of this election; so we are asking our people to be calm; we are studying the situation and in a few days, our leadership will pronounce the next line of action.
"Those who say their mother should not sleep; should be prepared to sleep while standing", they said adding; that the struggle continues (Aluta Continua, Victoria Acerta!).
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