The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Edo State Governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, has voiced his disappointment with the outcome of the polls.
Ighodalo, who came second with 247,274 votes, was defeated by Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who secured 291,667 votes.
In an interview with the BBC, Ighodalo expressed his discontent with the process: “I’m pretty disappointed. I thought we probably would have a good, transparent, and effective conduct of elections. But as the day wore on and I saw how things were unfolding, it became clear that the elections were not going to be freely and fairly held.
“So I’m very disappointed. It’s beginning to look like we’re having probably the worst election in the history of our country being conducted in Edo State. We saw yesterday certain moves that seemed to obviously suggest blatant attempts to manipulate the results of the elections. You know, many things come up suddenly. You see results being thrown up where the total results are much more than the results that have been accredited.
“If INEC doesn’t turn a new leaf, we can’t accept injustice. We can’t accept injustice. We are peace-loving people in the PDP, the party, my people, my people.
“If the elections have been free and fairly conducted, we will take the outcome of the elections, but when you see this crass manipulation, this subversion of the will of the people of Edo State, it’s untenable, it’s unacceptable, totally unacceptable.”
Ighodalo also described how the governor visited the INEC office to question the delay in collation: “The governor went into the INEC office to demand a meeting with the REC to ask why they stopped the collation of the votes, and there was nothing being done, there was nothing being said. And he went in, and after he had finished, he met with the DIG police, and after they finished, he left. It was because of his intervention that INEC issued a statement that they will continue collation at 10 a.m. So there’s no such—it’s not true—how will they march out a sitting governor from INEC office? Who is the REC compared to a sitting governor, apart from this so-called powers? If you go to the INEC office, you would think it’s one of the branch offices of APC, one of their campaign offices.”
Reflecting on the situation in Edo State, Ighodalo said: “As far as the people of Edo State were concerned, they were going through a normal process of electing a new government, and they didn’t think they would have to go through all of this hassle to get to the point where they elected a new government because of the lack of government.
“So the people of Edo State are sad. They feel pained. They are worried that their true intentions, wishes, and desires are about to be subverted. But you know, I know the people of Edo State. They’re strong people. They’re strong-willed people. They understand political issues. They’re very conversant with political ways and processes, and I think the people of Edo State will stand up and speak for themselves as things unfold.
“But I’m hoping very seriously that INEC will retrace its steps and understand that it cannot be used as cannon fodder by politicians that don’t like the people. You know, it’s just unbelievable the way the APC has been behaving in the weeks leading up to this election. They’re behaving as if they own INEC, as if they own the police, and we are all complacent in allowing all of this to continue happening. We want to run a free, fair, and democratic process. When in the world does that happen?”
