INEC formally declares Obaseki Edo governor-elect

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Godwin Obaseki, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of the 2016 Edo governorship election.

According to Kayode Soremekun, a professor and vice chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Obasaki polled 319,483 votes to beat his closest challenger, Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 253,173.

But the agent of PDP in the election refused to append his signature to the result, claiming his persistent complaints about irregularities were ignored.

That was after PDP supporters protested outside the INEC office in Benin, Edo state capital, accusing the electoral body of bias and demanding the cancellation of the election.

Similarly, Ize-Iyamu had rejected the result of the election, even though collation was still ongoing at the time, saying the results being announced by INEC amounted to a “rape of democracy”.

“Contrary to claim that PDP brought in 8,000 militants, the election showed that PDP is law-abiding and did not involve in illegality. The delays in announcing official result by INEC was in order to announce predetermined fabricated results,” he shad aid.

“The Figures being announced by INEC do not represent the massive turnout. We have told our agents to bring all the results issued at the polling units. We do not want to rely on the messages they sent.

“In the next three or four days, will have complete record. From findings, it is clear a lot of manipulation has taken place.”

The buildup to the election was charged with allegations and counter-allegations of rigging plans between the two leading parties, APC and PDP, with security agents forcing INEC to shift the election by three weeks to deal with alleged plans to use hoodlums in rigging the election.

There was wild jubilation among APC supporters after INEC announced the winner, and Obaseki has already delivered an acceptance and thanksgiving speech to his followers.