Factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff said yesterday he would consult widely on the final result of the Edo governorship election before speaking on the matter.
He spoke through his deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh.
Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Dan Orbih, who addressed the media, alleged that the outcome of the exercise had been pre-determined by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on behalf of Sheriff, Ojougboh, said: “We will await the final announcement of the result, consult widely before making our decision public.”
Ojougboh reiterated national leadership of the PDP was concerned about issues arising from the election, and called for restraint from members and supporters. Regardless, earlier, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye had, in a statement in Abuja, warned that the party would reject the result of the governorship poll if the antics of APC continued.
He accused the Edo State government of sponsoring massive irregularities in the election.
Security beefed up at Govt House, other locations
Security has been beefed up at Edo Government House in Benin City and other public institutions after the final result of Wednesday’s governorship election in the state was announced, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Some people had staged a protest in front of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Benin while the result was being announced.
Edo State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Dan Orbi said the party had rejected the result of the election because “it had been pre-determined and predicted.”
Following the protest, more security personnel were drafted to the state INEC office and also stationed at strategic locations in Benin City. More security personnel were seen at the government house following the protest.
The security personnel drafted to the government house had barricaded major entry and exit points, while visitors were thoroughly screened before entering the building. Police Armoured Personnel Carriers were stationed at the popular Kings Square and campaign headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate.
Other security personnel were seen patrolling the city and manning check points in strategic locations
Party agents’ refusal to sign result sheet doesn’t invalidate election –INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the refusal of some political party agents to sign the Edo governorship election result sheet did not invalidate the poll.
INEC National Commissioner in Charge of Publicity, Prince Solomon Soyebi stated this in an interview with newsmen on yesterday in Benin.
Soyebi said the validity of an election was stipulated in the Electoral Act and Election Guidelines. He said the concluded Edo election was in line with the Electoral Act.
“The refusal of any party agents to sign the result sheet does not in any way invalidate the declared result of the election,” Soyebi said.
The agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Young Democratic Party had refused to sign the result sheet of the Edo governorship election. Soyebi commended the people of Edo for their peaceful conduct which, he said, allowed the election to be peaceful and concluded in one ballot. “This is one of the few elections that we have conducted with minimum violence,” he said.
Soyebi said the people of Edo had set the pace for peaceful election and mass turnout of voters in the country. He expressed hope that such standard would be sustained as well as impact on future elections.
The INEC commissioner said high number of counseled votes and the inability to use the card readers remained one of the major challenges in the election.
He, however, said INEC would build on the success recorded in Edo as well as invest more in voter education to ensure the success of Ondo election scheduled for November 28.
INEC had declared Mr Godwin Obaseki of the APC, who polled 319,483 votes, as winner of the election. His closest rival, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the PDP scored 253,173 votes.