Edo decides 2024:PDP rejects results, alleges irregularities in three LGAs
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has rejected the results of the recent governorship election declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in three local government areas, citing alleged irregularities in the collation process.
The party has raised concerns about the results from Akoko Edo, Egor, and Etsako West LGAs, claiming the figures do not reflect the true outcome of the election in those areas.
Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, Chairman of PDP in Edo State, voiced these allegations during a press conference held in Benin City, the state capital. Aziegbemi accused INEC of manipulating the results to favor the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the figures as unjustly inflated.
According to Aziegbemi, discrepancies were found between the results uploaded on INEC’s IReV portal and those declared by electoral officers in the three contested LGAs.
He called for a reversal of the alleged errors before the final results are announced, stressing that the integrity of the election is at stake.
“It has come to our attention that the electoral officers appointed by INEC made entries that are totally different from the actual results uploaded on the IREV,” Aziegbemi stated, noting that votes for the APC were inflated while those for the PDP were reduced.
In Akoko Edo LGA, Aziegbemi cited specific discrepancies, saying that while the IREV data showed APC had 25,010 votes, the figure was inflated to 34,847 by the LGA Returning Officer. Similarly, PDP’s votes were reduced from 18,620 to 15,865. He also highlighted similar inconsistencies in Egor and Etsako West LGAs, where APC votes were inflated by thousands and PDP votes were altered.
PDP’s concerns are not only based on vote discrepancies. Aziegbemi also pointed out that in Egor LGA, the collation process was moved from the designated center to INEC’s state headquarters, excluding the PDP agent from the proceedings. In Etsako West, results showed a gap of over 2,000 votes in favor of APC when compared to the IREV figures.
“These irregularities are scandalous and a brazen attempt to steal the mandate of the PDP,” Aziegbemi said, calling for an immediate re-collation of the actual results in compliance with INEC guidelines.
Meanwhile, PDP youths and supporters took to the streets of Benin City, staging a protest at INEC’s state headquarters on Sunday. The protesters, chanting solidarity songs, accused INEC of bias and manipulating the election results.
The commission had announced results from 17 of 18 LGAs, with APC leading by over 50,000 votes and winning in 11 LGAs, while PDP secured six.
One of the protesters, identified as Frank, claimed the results had been tampered with on INEC’s portal and called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene. “We will not allow anyone to tamper with the will of Edo people,” he stated, emphasizing the need for transparency in the final collation.
