Kelly Ogbaloi, the Edo State Labour Party (LP) chairman, has described the Saturday rerun election in the state as a sham and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to cancel the election and fix another date for the rerun.
Ogbaloi who stated this while reacting to the rerun election at a press conference in Benin alleged that the exercise was marred by irregularities and violence by thugs suspected to be loyal to the PDP in the state.
He alleged that members of the Labour Party, including a candidate of the party, Derek Uhunmwagho, were mercilessly beaten up and chased away from the polling units where the rerun election was taking place.
He said Labour Party completely dissociate itself from the charade where thugs had taken over the activities of the umpire.
He also alleged that Labour Party was shortchanged by over 2, 000 votes in the last election which INEC had promised to look into and make necessary corrections.
Also reacting to the Edo State rerun election, Labour Party’s national chairman, Julius Abure, in a statement, said reports reaching the national secretariat of the party in Abuja indicated that there was no rerun election in Edo State as agents of PDP were allegedly deployed by the state government to chase away Labour Party’s candidates and supporters from voting in all the affected polling units.
Abure alleged all the polling units in the local government areas where the rerun elections were held were already won by the labour party candidates but because the INEC officials were compromised they decided to cancel them and ordered a rerun.
“We are already challenging the earlier results at the election tribunal and we are very sure of getting a favourable judgement at the tribunal.
“I want to call on our candidates and supporters to remain calm as we believe that justice will be done by the judiciary which is the last hope of the common man,” Abure declared.
Meanwhile, Governor Godwin Obaseki Sunday congratulated the Peoples Democratic Candidates that emerged victorious at the Supplementary Elections.
“I congratulate candidates of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on their victory in the supplementary elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on April 15, 2023.
“I commend all Edo people who participated in the elections for comporting themselves responsibly during the exercise and ensuring the conclusion of the elections peacefully.
“I applaud the tenacity of our candidates, Hon. Destiny Oghayerio Enabulele, member-elect of Ovia South West Constituency; Hon. Natasha Irobosa Osawaru, member-elect of Egor Constituency and Hon. Uyi Frank Omosigho, member-elect of Oredo East Constituency, for gaining the trust of the people to serve them in the Assembly. We are sure that these members-elect will uphold the best interest of their constituents as they carry out their assignment as legislators,” he said.
