The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially rejected the results of the Edo governorship election held on Saturday, stating its intention to utilize all legal avenues to reclaim its mandate.
In a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum, emphasized the party’s commitment to retrieving its mandate through lawful means. He asserted that despite facing intimidation and manipulation, evidence from polling units indicated that PDP candidate Asue Ighodalo had won the election prior to alleged alterations in the results.
“The PDP unequivocally rejects the final result of the Edo governorship election as declared by INEC. The election did not meet the minimum standards for democracy, as it failed to reflect the true will and aspirations of the people in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2022, and INEC guidelines,” he stated.
Damagum urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the election results as stipulated by Section 65 of the Electoral Act, calling for results to be based solely on genuine votes cast at the polling units.
He appealed to all Nigerians and supporters of democracy worldwide to stand in solidarity with the people of Edo in rejecting what he described as an assault on their democratic rights. “The people of Edo clearly chose Asue Ighodalo as the next Governor of their state, and only their will, as expressed at the polling units, must be allowed to stand,” he declared.
Damagum further claimed that the recent political events, particularly the alleged rigging of the election by the APC in collusion with unpatriotic security operatives and INEC officials, posed a threat to Nigeria’s democracy. He noted that the PDP had previously warned of such a conspiracy aimed at subverting the election.
The chairman criticized the inaction of INEC regarding the redeployment of biased officials and the release of arrested PDP members and supporters, which he viewed as further validation of a plot to rig the election.
Damagum expressed hope in the judiciary’s ability to deliver justice and promised that the PDP would hold the judicial system accountable in the eyes of the Nigerian public, asserting, “It is said that when the judicial system does not work, then you don’t have a country.”