The Peoples Democratic Party has encouraged its supporters in Edo State to closely monitor the governorship election results to prevent manipulation.
In a statement released on Saturday, the PDP, through its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that all results announced at polling units are transparently uploaded to the INEC server.
The party also called for the proper declaration of these results at the collation centres in accordance with the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC guidelines for the Edo State governorship election.
The statement read in part: “The Peoples Democratic Party directs its members and supporters in Edo State to follow the results of the Edo State governorship election from the polling units to the ward, local government, and state collation centres to prevent any manipulation or alteration by the All Progressives Congress.
“Our party demands that INEC ensures that all results, as announced at the polling units, are transparently uploaded to the INEC server and duly declared at the collation centres in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC guidelines for the Edo State governorship election.
“The PDP counsels the APC to respect the will of the people of Edo State as expressed at the polling units. The PDP commends the people of Edo State for their resilience in enforcing their will at the polling units despite the schemes of the APC, and charges them to remain alert, ready to firmly defend their votes as they await the final result declaration heralding our victory.”
In a related matter, the PDP has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of INEC Presiding Officer, Obozuwa Josephine, for allegedly assigning non-existent votes to the APC.
The party claims that the election result sheet for the Osholo Primary School Polling Unit in Weppa, Etsako East Local Government Area, indicates that while 213 voters were accredited, Obozuwa Josephine unlawfully allocated 352 votes to the APC, 52 to the PDP, and one to the Labour Party, totalling 406 votes cast.
Ologunagba’s statement continued: “It is highly provocative that INEC’s Presiding Officer, Obozuwa Josephine, could be so compromised by the APC as to audaciously and feloniously allocate 352 votes to the APC, above the 213 voters officially accredited in that polling unit.
“This reckless act by Obozuwa Josephine is reminiscent of the criminal conduct of the former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Hudu Ari, during the 2023 governorship election in that state, which provoked violent protests and nearly led to the loss of lives of INEC officials.
“Obozuwa Josephine should note that this criminal action could provoke similar consequences.”
The PDP contends that Obozuwa Josephine’s action is just one of many cases of electoral fraud, ballot manipulation, betrayal of public trust, and crimes against the state allegedly perpetrated in this election by the APC and unscrupulous INEC officials, which must not go unpunished.
The party reiterated its previous warnings that the APC had compromised the INEC system by placing its members in roles as polling officers to manipulate the electoral process and alter results in favour of the APC.
It continued: “The PDP demands that INEC effect the immediate arrest and prosecution of the indicted presiding officer, Obozuwa Josephine, cancel the election in Osholo Primary School Polling Unit, and take steps to address other such infractions in this election.
“Our party again commends the people of Edo State for their vigilance and urges them to remain resilient until the end.”