Tony Osauzo, Benin
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State on Saturday night warned of fake Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) websites supposedly sponsored by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to win an advantage in the ongoing election.
The party dismissed speculative results by the PDP, saying that PDP’s ‘electoral vaudeville’ will not secure them an electoral victory.
According to a statement by the Edo APC Media Campaign Council Chairman, Mr John Mayaki, the figures and images being bandied in the media are false that should be disregarded.
‘Before the election, we warned that PDP has prepared doctored election results and fake figures to make it appear that they will win the elections. They have even graduated to hosting a fake website for INEC where they release their concocted results.
‘I want to urge all APC supporters in Edo to remain calm as we had the majority of the votes in the State cast in our favour. A falling tree makes a louder crack than an erect tree.
‘PDP has been churning out false figures. They released an edited picture, for instance, of Comrade Oshiomhole voting for PDP. They released news that PDP won in our candidate’s polling unit. These are all falsehood. We will not stoop to their level,’ the statement said.
It added that the information being propagated in the media would not change the actual results in the ballot boxes and that they were all attempts by the PDP to ‘secure false evidence for the election tribunal, which they still plan to head to after they have lost.
‘Just like their candidate, Mr Obaseki, PDP is trying to push a narrative that they have secured the majority votes and that if APC is declared the winner, then something funny has happened. The only funny thing that has happened is that PDP thugs tried to chase APC polling agents away from the spots of the elections. They managed to beat up APC election officials and in Ovia North East, they managed to kill one person, seriously maim another, and injure several others. Despite this attempt to prevent our people from voting, we have still been able to secure the majority of the votes,’ the statement further said.
Mayaki expressed confidence that when the final results are revealed the truth would come out and the mandate to move Edo State forward would be handed to APC, alleging that the State had collectively rejected the Governor.