We’ll challenge Edo election outcome in court – PDP Chair, Damagum

Following it’s rejection of the outcome of the governorship election in Edo State as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has vowed to challenge the result in court.

At a press conference in Abuja, PDP Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, on Monday called on concerned Nigerians to join the party in rejecting the election results.
Damagum urged the people of Edo to remain resilient and strong, announcing that the PDP would contest the INEC results in court.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, Saturday, announced Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Edo State Governorship election.

Okpebholo got 291,667 votes, to defeat PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, who received 247,274 votes, and the Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata, with 22,763 votes.

But reacting to the development on behalf of the party, Damagum asserted that Ighodalo, the PDP candidate, won the election and said that the poll failed to adhere to basic democratic norms.

He stated: “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.

“From unfolding political events in the country, the latest being the brazen rigging of the Saturday, September 21, 2024, Edo State Governorship election by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in connivance with government-controlled agencies, it is clear that our democracy is under threat.

“As you know and widely reported in all segments of the media, 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.

“You may recall that the PDP had on several occasions alerted of this sinister plot by the APC to subvert the election, the roles allegedly being played by AIG Zone 7, Benneth Igwe and Edo State Commissioner of Police CP Nemo Edwin-Iwo and the appointment of a known APC apologist and supporter, Dr Anugbum Onuoha, as the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).

“Several demands by our Party for the redeployment of these officials as well as the release of all arrested PDP members and supporters fell on deaf ears and tend to validate PDP’s suspicion of a top-level conspiracy to rig the Edo State governorship election.”

Damagum added, “Nigerians and the world watched in horror as the APC-compromised security operatives and thugs unleashed terror, harassed, arrested and detained PDP members and supporters, foisted siege mentality on the people, paved the way for APC agents and procured INEC officials to manipulate the ballot process, substitute genuine results from the Polling Units with fictitious figures and transferred the victory clearly won by our candidate, Asue Ighodalo to the defeated APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo.

“As Nigerians already know, 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 calls 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.”

On the judiciary, Damagum stated, “In this election, we shall once again test the level of preparedness of the judiciary to deliver justice where it is needed. Therefore, we cannot rule out a situation where justice will be dispensed, but the most important thing is that we shall subject them to greater scrutiny in the eyes of Nigerians. They say that when the judicial system does not work, then you don’t have a country. I don’t know if we will still have a country.”