Edo 2016:more evidence as PDP to challenge APC at the tribunal

– PDP describes the results released by INEC for the Edo state gubernatorial election as a fraud

– The Edo state PDP chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, says the party will expose the alleged corruption and incompetence of INEC

– The party expresses confidence in the judiciary’s ability to give justice to Nigerians

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved to challenge the outcome of the Edo state governorship election at the election petitions tribunal

The opposition had rejected the result of the Edo state governorship election in which the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Godwin Obaseki, emerged as winner. The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared that Obaseki had a total of 319,483 votes while his counterpart in the PDP, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, polled 253,173 votes to come second.

But the PDP described the results released by the electoral umpire as s a fraud, and accused INEC of alleged complicity.

The Edo state PDP Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, told the Punch on Monday, October 3, that the party would leave nothing to chance to prove that the result was manipulated and that it would also expose the alleged corruption and incompetence of the electoral commission.

Orbih therefore called for the dissolution of the present leadership of the INEC. He said:

“Of course, we are going to file our petition at the election petitions tribunal.

We will give it our all. If nothing else, to expose to Nigerians how corrupt and incompetent INEC is, under its present leadership.

“Our lawyers are busy; they are working. Until they formally file a petition, all I can say is that we are going to challenge the result of this election at the tribunal.”

The PDP chieftain expressed confidence in the judiciary’s ability to give justice to Nigerians. He said:

“We will pursue this matter to a logical conclusion and I believe that the judiciary has a role to play to save democracy and give Nigerians hope that, in a country where people do things with impunity, people can still approach the judiciary for justice.”

Meanwhile, a political pressure group within the Edo state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), known as The Restoration Group on Monday, October 3 described the just concluded governorship election in Edo as credible, free and fair.

The group also called for the resignation of the entire executive members of the PDP in Edo state led by Chief Dan Orbih, saying the party was not prepared for the just concluded Edo election.

According to Leadership, Mr Uyi Igbinigie the leader of the group who is also the leader of the PDP in Oredo local government area while speaking to journalists in Benin, said that contrary to the position of the party leadership that the election was rigged by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), that “the election was one of the best conducted so far by INEC and it was free, fair and credible.
naij.com