Edo lawmaker denies submitting election results

THE member representing Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Peter Appatason has denied allegations by his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) opponent in March 28 National Assembly elections, Oladele Bankole-Balogun that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the results handed over to them by him and not the actual results from the fields.

Bankole-Balogun had filed papers at the tribunal demanding that he be declared winner of the election, as he alleged that Appatason was not duly elected and that his said election as declared by INEC did not comply substantially with the Electoral Act. He alleged acts of irregularities.

He alleged that Appatason had inflated the results of ward 9, where he hails from and coerced the INEC to announce the results, which according to him was inflated in favour of Akpatason and that he personally brought results from his Uneme-Nekhua to INEC’s collation centre.

But Appatason through his Director General of Campaign and his counsel, Omoh-Ige Adebayo, a lawyer denied the allegations.

According to Adebayo, “As a member of the House of Representatives and one that knows the law, Appatason could not have inflated figures and gave to INEC, besides he was not a Returning Officer in that election, neither is he an INEC staff that will originate results and give to INEC to announce, it is funny.

“However, we are happy that Bankole, his opponent has gone to the tribunal, we are waiting to meet there. Knowing fully well that ward 9 is the strong hold of Appatason, the PDP perpetrated violence in that ward, which led to the cancellation of elections in unit 11, where Akpatason lost over 2000 votes. Yet they did not succeed in winning that ward despite the destruction they caused.

“It is on record that on the day of collation, the PDP candidate led people to barricade the collation center that they will never allow the results from wards 4, 5, 6 and 9 into the collation center. Heavy security agents have to be drafted to stop them from causing mayhem at INEC collation center that day before the results were declared.

“We are already filing our papers. The tribunal has been established but it has not been constituted. We have received their writs and of course and we are mindful of the date. We are anxiously looking forward to meeting them at the tribunal.”