Ize-Iyamu rejects final election result — before it is announced

Although collation is still ongoing at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the result of the Edo state governorship election.

Addressing reporters at his Benin residence, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the PDP, described the results being announced by INEC as a “rape of democracy”.

Ize-Iyamu said his party monitored the the election through its agents across the state.

“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 said.

“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.”

Dan Orbih, chairman of the PDP in Edo, alleged that INEC conspired with the APC government to truncate the wish of the people.

Like Ize-Iyamu, Orbih said the results announced were at a complete variance with what the party got from it agents and independent observers.

He alleged that the two-week extension of the poll by the electoral body was to allow for more time to perfect the manipulation of the process.

“You will recall that our state publicity secretary had briefed the press less than 48 hours to the elections on what is playing out now,” he said.

“If you go by the results that were announced at the polling units and wards across the state, it shows that PDP would have won by over 30,000 votes.

“What INEC is announcing is clearly different from what we got from our agents and independent observers in the 192 wards and over 2,000 units across the state.

“We are rejecting these results as they were being announced by INEC and we are coming out early enough to make this known.”

He said the cancellation of some results on the basis of failed card reader was part of a deliberate plan to also manipulate the poll.

Orbih alleged that the areas were results were cancelled were the stronghold of the PDP.

“I wonder what the Incident Form is for. Voters should not be made to suffer unduly for the inefficiency of card readers,” he said.