PDP Governors’ Forum urges INEC to respect Edo people’s ‘will’

INEC is expected to declare the result of the remaining LGA and announce the winner of the elections at any moment from now.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has commended the people of Edo State for the “massive” turnout during Saturday’s governorship election and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to respect “the people’s will.”

In a statement signed by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who doubles as the chairperson of the PDP Governors’ Forum, the group expressed confidence that the “enlightened” Edo electorate would make the right choice, given the “achievements” of Governor Godwin Obaseki and the qualities of the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo.

This comes amidst the ongoing collation of the election results in Benin City.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced results from 17 out of 18 local government areas so far. The All Progressives Congress (APC) is leading with 275,329 votes.

The PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, followed with 220,892 votes, while the Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata polled 18,737.

The APC has won in 11 LGAs, leaving only six for the PDP, while the Labour Party has not won in any.

INEC is expected to declare the result of the remaining LGA and announce the winner of the elections at any moment from now.

PDP urges INEC to be impartial

However, the PDP Governors’ Forum urged INEC to remain impartial and respect the sovereign wishes of the Edo people, warning against the consequences of a disputed result.

The forum reiterated its commitment to democratic best practices and Nigeria’s peace and stability.

It said it looks forward to the announcement of a result that truly represents the wishes of the Edo people.

The forum praised the role played by the PDP governors, including Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), and Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), in monitoring the election and promoting calm.

They also debunked the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s accusations that PDP governors usurped INEC’s responsibility, emphasising that they only stated collated results from the IREV portal to prevent manipulation.