Four political parties which participated in the Wednesday governorship election in Edo state have faulted the declaration of the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Godwin Obaseki as governor-elect and asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC to immediately cancel the results.
The parties are the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), with Mr. Frank Ukonga as its governorship flag bearer; the Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), with Mr. Andrew Igwemoh as its governorship candidate; the Social Democratic Party (SDP), with Dr Omorogieva Gbajumo as its candidate and the Kowa Party (KP) with Mr. Thompson Osadoloras its flag bearer.
The parties, which are operating under the canopy of Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC), insisted at a news briefing in Benin, the capital of Edo state 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.
The chairman of the group Frank Ukonga of NNPP, 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.”
This was even as the candidate of the 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 who shows that something does not add up.”
On his part, Mr. Thompson Osadolor of Kowa Party said that 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 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 ACD that said that 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.
“I am calling for the cancellation of the results especially that of Etsako West local government because what transpired on the field is not what INEC made public. The mathematical errors are too obvious to be ignored.”
They all vowed to continue in their advocacy for the cancellation of the elections so that the will of Edo people will be upheld and that it is the only way to sustain democracy in the country.
The APC candidate, Obaseki was declared governor-elect by INEC 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). [myad]
