Four candidates who contested the recent Edo governorship election have called for outright cancellation of the result. Chairman of the Inter-party Advisory Council, IPAC, Mr Frank Ukonga, who contested the Edo governorship election on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, and three other candidates have called for the cancellation of the results declared by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Others were Mr Andrew Igwemoh of the Advanced Congress of Democrats, ACD, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Dr Omorogieva Gbajumo, and Mr Thompson Osadolor of Kowa Party, said INEC falsified the results to favour the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The candidates said the result was a an abridgement of the will of Edo people.
Godwin Obaseki of the APC was declared governor-elect of the state after he garnered 319,483 votes in the election, as against the 253,173 votes polled by Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Many members of other parties including the PDP rejected the result, arguing that it was falsified overnight and that what was announced by INEC did not tally with the returns by party agents.
At a press conference in Benin City weekend, Ukonga insisted that the figures INEC declared and displayed on national television were at complete variance with those which their own agents and observers obtained from the polling units across the state.
He said, “The results that INEC made public do not tally with what most, if not all, our agents came back home with. We are calling for the cancellation of the entire election because INEC gave APC the PDP votes.”
The candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Dr Omorogieva Gbajumo said: “Nigerians are wondering how INEC came up with about 66, 000 missing votes whereas voters voted as soon as they were accredited.
“It is clear that the votes declared by INEC are not correct. Even parties which were not on the ballot were allocated some votes by the electoral umpire which shows that something does not add up.”
Mr Thompson Osadolor of Kowa Party said no voter went home after being accredited to vote and there was a generally peaceful election across the state, INEC had no business voiding votes.
“It is a shame on INEC and it should do the needful by ensuring that the voice of Edo people which was loud and clear on September 28 is reflected by declaring the true results of the elections.”
Mr Andrew Igwemoh of the Advanced Congress of Democrats, ACD, said there were glaring errors in the figures computed by INEC in an election that was marred by open exchange of money between party agents and the voters”.
