Benin, Edo State – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed full support for Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s assertion that its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, emerged victorious in Saturday’s Edo State governorship election.
In a statement released by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party claimed that polling unit results across the state clearly indicated Ighodalo’s win.
The PDP accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of engaging in desperate attempts to manipulate the outcome of the election. The party highlighted APC’s attacks on Governor Fintiri as evidence of their efforts to cover up alleged electoral fraud.
“The rush, venom, and insults hurled by the All Progressives Congress (APC) against Governor Fintiri only confirm their violent desperation to conceal their manipulations,” the PDP stated.
Governor Fintiri, who chairs the Edo PDP National Campaign Council, alleged that APC, in collaboration with officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security personnel, hijacked the election process. He accused APC of fabricating results in favor of their candidate, Monday Okpebholo.
“The results collated from the polling units have Asue Ighodalo in a clear lead before the state collation exercise was hijacked by APC,” Fintiri said.
The PDP reiterated its earlier warnings about APC’s plot to rig the election results and vowed to resist any attempts to undermine the democratic process. The party claimed that any attempt to alter the actual results would lead to unrest. They referenced the near-crisis in Adamawa State during the 2023 governorship election when an electoral official tried to manipulate the outcome.
“Our party again cautions INEC not to ignore the violent protests that followed the criminal attempt by the former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner,” the PDP warned, urging INEC to declare the rightful winner of the Edo election.
The PDP emphasized that APC and its candidate, Monday Okpebholo, were decisively defeated and stressed that the will of the people must be respected to avoid potential conflict.