The Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has outrightly rejected the results of the recently concluded governorship election in Edo State, calling it a “rape on democracy.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced on Sunday that the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured victory with 291,667 votes, while the PDP garnered 247,274 votes, and the Labour Party polled 22,763 votes.
In a statement issued on Monday by Ayo Fadaka, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Ondo PDP Campaign Organisation, the party expressed its displeasure, condemning the result as fraudulent and a betrayal of the electoral will of the Edo people.
“The Edo State Governorship Election results represent another rape on democracy in Nigeria… this is absolutely condemnable, as it betrays a total disregard for the electoral desires of the people as validly expressed through the ballot,” the statement read.
Fadaka further accused INEC of violating electoral laws by shifting the collation of votes from local government collation centres to its headquarters in Benin City, describing the move as a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the election.
The Ondo PDP warned that it would not tolerate any attempt to undermine the electoral process in the upcoming Ondo State elections, scheduled for November 16.
“We will vote and protect our votes here. Ondo is not Edo,” the statement declared.
The PDP also accused the APC government of institutionalizing hardship, penury, and poverty, and reiterated its commitment to ensuring that future elections in Ondo would reflect the true will of the electorate.
The statement concluded with a warning to those intending to manipulate votes: “Danger looms if they seek to tamper with our votes.”
