By Olusegun Olanrewaju and Seyi Odewale, with agency report
Controversy reared its ugly head yesterday as a raft of positions for and against victory trailed the declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, in last weekend’s Edo State governorship election.
This follows as a former governor of the state and the senator representing Edo North in the National Assembly, Adams Oshiomhole, affirmed Okpebholo’s victory, even as his closest rival in the outgone polling, Asue Ighodalo, has vowed to retrieve his mandate, which he claims has been ‘brazenly stolen.’
According to Ighodalo, the people’s will was roundly subverted in the election on September 21, 2024.
Ighodalo said yesterday, “That day will forever be etched in our history as one of our darkest moments, marked by the brazen theft of our mandate and the shameful subversion of the will of the people.”
In his post-election statement after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared APC’s candidate, Okpebholo, the winner of the keenly contested election, Ighodalo, who came second, yelled “unfairness.”
INEC had earlier declared Okpebholo the winner of the governorship contest with 291,667 votes, compared to Ighodalo’s 247,274.
Labour Party (LP) candidate Olumide Akpata, a former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president, came a distant third in the race with 22,763 votes.
Ighodalo, however, hailed his supporters, saying, “You are the true heroes of our democracy, and your sacrifices for a better Edo State will never be forgotten.”
He added that their “overwhelming support was evident in the ballots before our progress was unjustly halted on September 2, 2024, by people who do not mean well for you or our state.”
The PDP candidate’s message also read in part, “My good people of Edo State, in all things, we must first give thanks to God.
“We are grateful for the gift of life and health and for your overwhelming love and support throughout this journey.
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who stood by us. Your unwavering dedication has fuelled our campaign and kept us moving forward.
“I particularly thank the brave people of Edo State who, despite rain, threats, and intimidation, cast their votes on September 21, 2024.
“Your resilience is the bedrock of our democracy. You are the true heroes of this moment, and your courage will never be forgotten.
“Your sacrifice paves the way for a brighter Edo State built on integrity and justice.
“My aspiration has never been about power. It has always been a genuine desire to serve and create prosperity for all in Edo State, for every man, woman, and child”.
Ighodalo added, “I visited every ward and every local government, sharing this vision of hope and listening to your dreams. Your voices strengthened my resolve to fight for a better future.
“To our dedicated supporters, thank you sincerely for believing in this cause. Your time, conversations, and votes carried us far beyond expectations. We ran a great campaign together, and your support was evident. Sadly, our progress was abruptly halted by those who didn’t care for the people or the future of Edo.
“September 21, 2024, will be remembered as a dark day. The brazen theft of our mandate and the silencing of your voice was a grave injustice. But we must not be discouraged. Evil’s temporary victory can never erase the truth. Our quest for prosperity is just beginning, not ending.
“Let us stay united, engaged, and determined. You stood by me during this campaign, and as we face uncertain times ahead, I promise I will stand by you. Together, we will create a pathway to prosperity for all in Edo State,” he said.
*APC won fair and square, says Oshiomhole
However, the senator representing Edo North in the National Assembly, Adams Oshiomhole, said the Edo State made their choice with the election of the APC candidate, Okpebholo.
Oshiomhole, reacting to allegations of election impropriety in the Edo governorship election on Channels TV’ Politics Today,’ said that with the emergence of Okpebholo as the governor-elect, the people of the state have spoken in electing a man they felt could bring them the good governance they had been yearning for. “The election was a reflection of the Edo people’s choice.
He took a swipe at the conduct of the outgoing governor, Godwin Obaseki, who visited the INEC’s collation centre to witness the event, asking: “How can a sitting governor go to a collation centre? The law prohibits anybody (elected politician) from going to the collation centre. Even the police escorted him there.”
On why INEC moved the collation centre to another venue, he said it was the electoral body’s decision, which was taken for reasons best known to the body.
He added that Governor Obaseki’s complaint about INEC’s conduct of the election as not being perfect and dictated by the Federal might was just hypocritical, considering what he had benefited from the previous polls conducted by the body in the state.
He said, “The same INEC conducted the election in 2016, then INEC was perfect. Also, in 2020, it was perfect, but now, INEC is a demon. In last year’s election in Edo, the PDP lost; it had no single senator, no House of Representatives (HOR) member, and only one member of the HOR. What has changed? Those who rejected PDP last year have not changed.”
Reacting to Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party’s Presidential candidate in last year’s general election, who commented on last Saturday’s Edo State governorship poll won by APC, Oshiomhole said, “I watched the LP candidate. Unfortunately, he lost his unit to PDP, not APC. I also noticed that he (Obi) did not wait until the end of the rally conducted by his party before the election.”
He added, “Obi is not an Edo person. Asue is a visitor to Edo; he operates from Protea Hotel in Benin City, and Edo will not elect any visitor again.”
*Yiaga Africa calls accountability, electoral reforms
Meanwhile, an election monitoring group, Yiaga Africa, has called for accountability and an urgent amendment to the Electoral Act to make the electronic transmission of results admissible.
This was stated in a statement jointly signed by the organisation’s chair of the 2024 Edo Election Mission, Aisha Abdullahi, and the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, in Benin City.
Yiaga Africa said substantial electoral reforms are needed to restore public confidence in the electoral system.
The group said the call underscored the importance of transparency and adherence to elections rules.
It also demanded the immediate investigation and prosecution of polling officials and collation officers involved in the alleged result manipulation and violations of result collation guidelines in the Edo election.
Yiaga Africa urged the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to promptly clarify inconsistencies in results from Oredo, Egor, Esan West, and other key local government areas.
It said, “Clear communication from INEC will ensure that the public understands the integrity of the election outcomes.
“INEC must issue specific guidelines on how it exercises its powers to review questionable declarations and returns.
“These guidelines should detail procedures for submitting complaints, including who can submit, the format, and the timeframe for addressing concerns.”
The monitoring group added, “The legal framework must incorporate the electronic transmission of results and the IReV system.
“This will legally solidify polling unit-level results uploaded on the portal, improving transparency and accountability.”
Yiaga Africa, however, commended voters for demonstrating resilience and patience, particularly in the face of logistical issues and rain that delayed the opening of polls.
It noted that their participation in challenging circumstances deserved recognition.
According to Yiaga Africa, there were reports of interference during the collation process, including restricted access to accredited observers, casting doubt on the neutrality of some security personnel.
It noted, “Additionally, the disruption of result collation raises concerns about the effectiveness of security deployment.
“The inability to prevent these interferences indicates a need for better planning and execution in future elections.”
The group further alleged that the election failed the integrity test due to a lack of transparency in the results collation process, which led to result manipulation.
“While other processes such as accreditation, voting, and counting were largely compliant, the compromised collation process significantly undermined the election’s overall integrity,” it said.
