Edo PDP Chairman Alleges Election Fraud, Confident of Reclaiming ‘Stolen Mandate’
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, has announced that the party has filed a petition challenging the outcome of the September 21 governorship election, which he described as a “robbery.” Aziegbemi expressed confidence that the PDP will reclaim its allegedly stolen mandate through legal means.
Speaking to journalists in Benin City on Monday, Aziegbemi highlighted the PDP’s efforts in gathering evidence and filing the petition before the Edo State Election Tribunal. He emphasized, “We have begun the journey to reclaim the people’s mandate, and a petition has been filed. Against all odds, the petition has been submitted, despite the All Progressive Congress (APC)’s plan to prevent us from doing so. The mandate given to the PDP will be reclaimed.”
The PDP also accused the APC of attempting to delay the court-ordered inspection of election materials at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Aduwawa, claiming that the APC’s tactics had been outmaneuvered.
Aziegbemi further alleged that while the PDP was focused on preparing its case, the APC and its chairman, Jarret Tenebe, were spreading false information. “As our party was busy gathering evidence for the petition, the APC and its chairman, Jarret Tenebe, were peddling lies. He falsely claimed that the PDP was disrupting activities at the INEC office, which makes no sense because the inspection process is in our favor. If APC truly won the September 21st election, why are they causing confusion and problems at the INEC office?” he questioned.
He continued, “If they won, why are they fighting so hard to stop us from inspecting the process? Are they trying to prevent people from seeing how they supposedly won?”
Aziegbemi also revealed that he had written a memo to INEC’s National Headquarters in Abuja on September 24, 2024, invoking the Electoral Act’s section 65 (1C), which allows INEC to review results within one week of the declaration. He noted, “The reply from INEC will shock you. They said that section of the Electoral Act is for internal purposes only, not for use by candidates or political parties.”
Addressing the arrest of PDP members before the election, Aziegbemi stated, “Many of our members were arrested by a special unit of the Nigerian Police from Abuja before the election. Most have been released after paying a total of about N64 million, despite the police claiming that bail is free. They are still planning to arrest more of our members to prevent us from organizing and pursuing our case.”
In conclusion, Aziegbemi announced the party’s decision to provide weekly updates on the political situation. Meanwhile, Mathew Iduoriyekemwen, the Director-General of the Edo State PDP Governorship Campaign Council, stressed, “Democracy grants us the constitutional right to vote for our leaders, and that right cannot be denied to the people of Edo State. We are determined to pursue this case to its logical conclusion.”
