Afegbua: PDP was divided before Edo guber — it couldn’t have won poll

Kassim Afegbua, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could not have won the Edo governorship election.

The election held on September 21, 2024, with Monday Okpebholo of the APC declared winner.

Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the PDP in the election, lost the first battle to upturn the outcome of the vote on April 2 when the tribunal dismissed his petition. 

Ighodalo would appeal the verdict of the tribunal.

Afegbua, a former commissioner for information in the state, said the PDP’s internal divisions prevented the party from securing victory.

He spoke on ‘Hard Facts’, a programme on Nigeria Info 99.3FM, on Monday.

“A party that was factionalised into four places cannot approach the election with a unanimity of purpose. It’s not possible. You have the Philip Shaibu faction, you have the Dan Orbih faction, you have the legacy faction… they couldn’t have,” Afegbua said.

Afegbua further pointed to the PDP’s records which he claimed validated the APC’s victory.

According to him, in a formal letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP admitted that the APC had won the election by a narrow margin of 4,963 votes.

“After the election, the PDP wrote formally to INEC requesting INEC to do a review of the election in line with the provisions of the electoral act,” he said.

“What was the content of the letter? They said even in their own situation room, APC won by the records of their own proceedings, with 4,963.

“They were quarrelling with the fact that INEC recorded 40-something thousand difference, but they are saying that 4,963 was the margin of lead.

“Now, whether it is one vote, whether it is two votes, APC won the election. That is attested to by the result from the PDP.

“This is not my own, it was a letter signed and sent to INEC by Azigbemi, the chairman of the party in the state.”

The APC chieftain urged the PDP to accept the election results and prioritise the progress of Edo state.

“We have won the election, and even that is attested to by their own records in their situation room. They should join us to move Edo forward,” he added.