Edo Governorship Election: PDP Demands Re-collation of Results Amid Claims of Electoral Fraud
In a shocking turn of events, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the immediate review of the collated results for the Edo governorship election, alleging widespread irregularities and fraud. According to the PDP, the results posted on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) IReV system do not match the actual votes recorded at the polling units.
Anthony Aziegbemi, a party official, claimed that votes were inflated in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC) through deducted votes from the PDP. He cited multiple instances of discrepancies in various local government areas, including Akoko-Edo and Egor, where the results uploaded on IReV showed vastly different numbers compared to those declared by the local government returning officers.
In Akoko-Edo, the PDP alleged that 18,620 votes were recorded on IReV, but 15,865 votes were entered on the EC8C declaration. Similarly, in Ward 9, Akoko Edo LGA, the APC was credited with 2,350 votes on IReV, but 9,104 votes were entered on the EC8C declaration, while the PDP’s votes were drastically reduced from 1,359 on IReV to 633 on EC8C.
In Egor, the PDP alleged that 14,485 votes were recorded on IReV, but 14,658 votes were declared on the EC8C. Furthermore, the PDP claimed that the collation process was moved to the INEC state headquarters without the party’s representative being allowed to participate, adding to the alleged irregularities.
The PDP has demanded the immediate re-collation and recompilation of the actual results for the various polling units in the affected areas, citing INEC guidelines and regulations that require votes from various units and wards to be properly collated.
As the political situation in Edo remains volatile, the PDP’s demands for re-collation and recompilation have raised serious questions about the integrity of the election process. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been called upon to review the results and ensure that the will of the people is upheld.
With the PDP’s allegations of electoral fraud hanging in the balance, it remains to be seen how the INEC will respond to the demands and ensure a transparent and fair process. The outcome of the Edo governorship election has significant implications for Nigerian politics, and any manipulation of the results could lead to widespread unrest and protests.
