In a bold move following the recent Edo State governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, has declared his intention to take the matter to tribunal, asserting that his mandate was “stolen.” Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Ighodalo outlined his party’s commitment to contest the results, citing irregularities and vote suppression as key issues.
Election Results Overview
Ighodalo’s remarks come in the wake of a closely contested election held on September 21, where he finished second with 247,274 votes. The APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with 291,667 votes, while Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party trailed behind in third place with 22,763 votes.
In his assessment, Ighodalo emphasized that despite the outcome, the PDP refrained from engaging in vote-buying practices. “We avoided buying votes during the election. More than 160 polling places did not use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which is a significant violation of electoral protocols,” he stated, underlining the alleged systematic irregularities.
Confidence in the Tribunal
Expressing optimism about the legal process, Ighodalo asserted, “There is a lot of data, information, and evidence that we have. We are fully confident that going through the tribunal, we will win the case. We will regain our mandate, and we are clear without any doubt that we were the winners of the election.”
He pointed to what he described as a breach of electoral laws, stating, “When APC and INEC saw that they were losing, they subverted the electoral laws and guidelines. The collation process, which should occur in a specific order, was disrupted, jumping from the ward straight to the state level.”
Ighodalo alleged that there was collusion between INEC and law enforcement to suppress the electorate’s will, claiming, “The people of Edo state purposely voted for us. We won the election clearly. It is painful because many young people felt disenfranchised in the past; they believed their votes were not counted.”
Allegations of Vote Buying
In his remarks, Ighodalo condemned the vote-buying scandal that plagued the election. “I can state categorically, we were not involved in vote buying at all. APC agents came with freshly minted notes from the CBN, offering N25,000, N30,000, and N50,000 per vote. Our supporters actively opposed these attempts to undermine the electoral process,” he detailed.
He argued that the need for such underhanded tactics reflects a lack of confidence in the APC’s capabilities. “When you’re not sure of your abilities, that’s when you resort to these questionable practices,” he asserted, placing blame on the APC and INEC for undermining democracy in the election.
Refusal of Friendship with Okpebholo
Addressing the political landscape, Ighodalo firmly rejected any notion of reconciliation with the newly declared governor, Monday Okpebholo. “Accepting his offer of friendship is out of the question. The mandate is stolen, and there is no way you can accept these hands of fellowship,” he said resolutely.
Instead, he reaffirmed his commitment to the people of Edo State, stating, “I will stay with the people of Edo state, who fully gave me the mandate of their free will. I will go into the courts and the tribunal to reclaim our mandate and then form the government.”
As the legal battle looms, Ighodalo’s declaration underscores the ongoing tensions in Nigeria’s political arena. His firm stance against what he perceives as electoral malpractice signals a larger conversation about the integrity of the democratic process in Nigeria. The PDP’s next steps in the tribunal will be closely watched, as the outcome could have significant implications for the party and the political landscape in Edo State.
