Edo PDP Rejects Results Of By-elections, Says Democracy Under Siege

The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as denounced the outcomes of the Saturday, August 16 by-elections held in the state, saying democracy in Nigeria was under siege.

The Independent National Election Commission (INEC) had earlier declared the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Omosede Igbinedion as winner of Edo Central Senatorial District, and Hon. Joe Ikpea for Ovia Federal Constituency.

Reacting to the outcome of the elections, Secretary of Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, Chris Nehikhare, on Sunday, accused INEC of deliberate exclusion of his party under the excuse of technical failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

Nehikhare described the technical issue as a premeditated attempt by INEC to sabotage and manipulate the election in favour of the ruling APC.

“The BVAS is the single most important tool that guarantees the credibility of elections in Nigeria. What we witnessed was not a technical failure but a deliberate sabotage by INEC to provide room for manipulation in cohort with APC and creates an unfair advantage for the APC and renders the entire process compromised.

“We reject the purported results being circulated by INEC. This election is nothing but an embarrassment to democracy. INEC hides under so-called “glitches” and “malfunctions,” but the real issue is its lack of competence, neutrality, and moral standing.

“In any responsible society, the management of INEC would by now have been sacked and prosecuted for repeatedly compromising the electoral process,” Nehikhare said.

Nehikhare added that Nigerians deserved free, fair, and credible election, “not exercises where the outcome is predetermined.”

He stressed that until Nigeria’s elections were adequately prepared for and conducted transparently, democracy in Nigeria will remain under siege.