Jay Boss
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the recent Edo State governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, has expressed his discontent with the election results, announcing plans to pursue legal action.
In an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ighodalo alleged that his mandate was usurped by the All Progressives Congress (APC), with assistance from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to previous reports from DAILY POST, Ighodalo finished in second place, garnering 247,274 votes, while the APC’s Monday Okpebholo was declared the winner with 291,667 votes. Labour Party candidate Olumide Akpata received 22,763 votes.
Ighodalo pointed to several issues, including the failure to implement the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in over 160 polling units, irregularities in the collation process from the ward to state level, and alleged collusion among INEC, the police, and the APC to undermine the wishes of Edo voters.
He emphasized that his party did not engage in vote-buying, contrasting this with the APC, which he accused of distributing cash incentives ranging from N25,000 to N50,000 to voters.
Looking ahead, Ighodalo confirmed his intention to bring the case before the tribunal, confident that evidence will demonstrate the PDP’s rightful victory in the election.
He dismissed Okpebholo’s offer of friendship, asserting that accepting such gestures would be impossible while the legitimacy of the mandate is under dispute.
“Since the mandate has been stolen, there is no way to accept such gestures of fellowship or friendship. I will stand with the people of Edo State, who willingly granted me their mandate, and I will seek justice in the courts and the tribunal to reclaim our mandate and establish the government,” he stated.
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