THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) call for the suspension of the final announcement of the just-concluded Edo State governorship election held on Saturday September 21.
In a letter signed by the Edo state chairman of the party, Tony Aziegbemi, and read at the collation venue by the party agent, Tony Iyoha, the PDP demanded the suspension pending the determination of unresolved issues on the election in some local government areas.
“The results were definitely held back because of numbers so they could play with the numbers,” the agent stated, in reaction to the delay in bringing the results from the remaining two local government areas after INEC announced results from 16 of the state’s 18 LGAs and consequently went on recess for hours.
In its letter, PDP stated that section 62 of INEC Regulations of Guidelines for the conduct of elections provides for the margin of the lead requirement to be satisfied as a pre-condition for the final declaration of the election result.
“Evidently, elections were cancelled or could not be held in a total of 162 polling units across 18 LGAs in Edo State. This amounts to a total of 15,000 uncollected PVCs of registered voters in the affected polling units.
“In this circumstances, we hereby demand a suspension of final declaration and a decision of the commission for appropriate review of result and re-run accordingly,” the party submitted.
The party added that it had evidence that elections were cancelled or could not be held in 162 polling units across 18 LGAs in the state.
The ICIR reports that INEC eventually declared the APC candidate Monday Okpebholo the election winner.
Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who won 247,274 votes.
The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Olumide Akpata, garnered 22,763 in the election to occupy a distant third position.
The returning officer and vice-chancellor of the Federal University of Minna, Haro Adamu Kuta, while announcing the final results said having met the constitutional requirement for being the winner, Okpebholo was the election winner.
A reporter with the ICIR
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