Less than a day after Senator Monday Okpebholo of the APC was declared the winner of the Edo State governorship election by INEC, the PDP has vowed to challenge the result in court. According to PDP Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, the party is determined to retrieve its "stolen mandate" through legal means. The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Mr. Olumide Akpata, also criticized the election, labeling it a "transaction" rather than a true democratic process.
Several civil society groups, including Yiaga Africa and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), echoed concerns about the election's integrity. Yiaga Africa reported that the election failed its integrity test, citing discrepancies in the results and the manipulation of votes during the collation process. The CDD called on INEC to review its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) uploads, following reports of over-voting and tampered results in several local government areas.
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PDP Rejects Edo Governorship Results, Alleges APC Vote Rigging in Contentious Election
Despite receiving congratulations from government officials and APC leaders, Okpebholo’s victory has been met with resistance. The PDP claims that its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, won the election before the results were altered. They urged Nigerians and the international community to stand with the people of Edo State in rejecting what they describe as an "assault on democracy."
Labour Party's Akpata is also preparing a legal response, submitting the election results for forensic analysis. He expressed disappointment in the widespread vote-buying schemes allegedly orchestrated by both the APC and PDP, warning that such practices have disenfranchised the people of Edo State and undermined Nigeria’s democracy.
