PDP chairman calls for review of Edo election results

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Damagum, has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently review the results of the just concluded governorship election in Edo State.

“The PDP demands that INEC within the time stipulated by Section 65 of the Electoral Act, 2022 review the Edo State governorship election and announce results only as obtained from the genuine votes cast at the Polling Units”

Insisting that his party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, clearly won the election, Damagum, in lone press conference, disclosed that the PDP would challenge the outcome as announced by INEC in court.

Asked to state his level of his confidence in the judiciary, Damagum said his would like to again put the integrity of the judiciary to test.

“In this election, we shall still put to test once again the level of the preparedness of the judiciary to do justice where it is required. So we cannot overrule a situation whereby justice will be dispensed but the most important thing is that we shall put them to more scrutiny before the eyes of Nigerians because they say that when the judicial system does now work, then you don’t have a country. I don’t know if we will still have a country.”

Expressing displeasure over alleged manipulations of the election, Damagum said: “the 2024 Edo State Governorship election was barefacedly compromised by the APC in collusion with unpatriotic security operatives and heavily procured officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who viciously trampled on the votes of the people in defiance of the Law and total disregard to the Sovereign Will of the people of Edo State.”

Damagum lamented that “despite the violence, intimidation and manipulations by the APC, results obtained from the Polling Units show that our candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo clearly won the election before the figures were altered at the State collation exercise in favour of the defeated APC candidate.”

“The PDP therefore unequivocally rejects the final result of the Edo State Governorship election as declared by INEC as it did not meet the minimum standard for democracy having not reflected the expressed Will and aspiration of the people in line with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC Guidelines for State Governorship election.” Damagum stressed.

The PDP chairman called on all Nigerians and lovers of Democracy all over the world to stand up in solidarity with the people of Edo State in rejecting “this assault on the democratic rights of the people as witnessed in the Edo State Governorship election.”