‘They’re making excuses for failure’ — Enugu PDP rejects LP, APGA claims of rigged guber poll

The Enugu Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council has dismissed claims that the party rigged the governorship election in the state. 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Peter Mbah, candidate of the PDP, as the winner of the election on Wednesday having polled 160,895 votes.

Mbah defeated Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party (LP), who scored 157,552 votes, and Frank Nweke II of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who garnered 17,983 votes.

After the announcement of the results, Nweke II, in a post on his official Twitter handle on Friday, described the poll as “an assault on democracy”.

Nweke II added that the poll was not free, fair, and transparent while Edeoga was said to have castigated the election. 

However, in a statement issued by Nana Ogbodo, the communication director of the PDP campaign in the state, the party said it should be more bitter about the conduct of the poll because of how its votes were rigged out in several LGAs.  

Ogbodo said the Nweke II and Edeoga were only making excuses for their failure. 

“If any party should complain bitterly, it was indeed the PDP, which was manifestly rigged out in several local government areas, where the election was militarised against their supporters, despite being the ruling party,” NAN quotes Ogbodo as saying. 

“It was instructive that neither Nweke nor Edeoga uttered a word of condemnation, when LP’s Senator-elect for Enugu North Senatorial District, Chief Okey Ezea, allegedly declared the governorship election a “do-or-die affair” in a viral video.

“Recall that when the duo levelled allegations of planned compromise of the governorship poll against the PDP, INEC, and other vital institutions of democracy ahead of the March 18 polls, we were quick to point out that they were not only making excuses for their expected failure.

“They were indirectly letting Enugu people into the mayhem they planned to unleash on them, having failed to condemn the statement by the LP chieftain and senator-elect.

“We also told you that Nweke has been a part and parcel of PDP since 1999 until last year, having served as Chief of Staff to former Gov. Chimaroke Nnamani and Minister in three ministries.

“We have ample evidence on how the PDP was manifestly rigged out in Nsukka LGA, Udenu, Igboeze North, Igbo-Eze South, Igbo-Etiti, and Isi Uzo.” 

Meanwhile, Ogbodo urged Nweke II and Edeoga to accept the olive branch and be part of the new Enugu state that Mbah desires to build.

“These are members of the PDP that only wanted to go to the Lion Building in other vehicles,” Ogbodo added. 

“East, West, North and South, there is no place like home and we are ever ready to welcome them back whenever they return.”