Governorship candidates of five of the 19 political parties that contested this week’s governorship election in Edo State have called for the cancellation of the results declared by INEC.
They insisted that the figures INEC declared and displayed on national television were at complete variance with those which their own agents and observers obtained from the polling units across the state. At a press conference in Benin City weekend, the Chairman of the Inter-party Advisory Council , IPAC, Mr Frank Ukonga, who contested on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, said INEC falsified the results to favor the APC.
He said,”The results that INEC made public do not tally with what most, if not all, our agents came back home with.
We are calling for the cancellation of the entire election because INEC gave APC the PDP votes”. Another candidate, Mr Andrew Igwemoh, of the Advanced Congress of Democrats, ACD, said there were glaring errors in the figures computed by INEC in an election that was marred by open exchange of money between party agents and the voters.
“I am calling for the cancellation of the results especially that of Etsako West local government because what transpired on the field is not what INEC made public. The mathematical errors are too obvious to be ignored”. Dr Omorogieva Gbajumo, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, said Nigerians are wondering how INEC came up with about 66, 000 missing votes whereas voters voted as soon as they were accredited.
“It is clear that the votes declared by INEC are not correct. Even parties which were not on the ballot were allocated some votes by the electoral umpire which shows that something does not add up”. Mr Thompson Osadolor of Kowa Party was of the view that since no voter went home after being accredited to vote and there was a generally peaceful election across the state, INEC had no business voiding votes. “It is a shame on INEC and it should the needful by ensuring that the voice of Edo people which was loud and clear on September 28 is reflected by declaring the true results of the elections”. The candidates vowed to continue in their advocacy for the cancellation of the elections so that the will of Edo people will be upheld, arguing that it is the only way to sustain democracy which is still in its infancy in the country.
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