… We Are Studying Results To Come Out Soon On Next Line Of Action
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday described the just concluded Edo governorship election in the state as a rape of democracy and a state capture not an election
The Deputy Director-General, Media and Publicity, of the Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council, Olu Martins, made the disclosure while addressing newsmen in Benin City, the state capital.
According to him , the Edo governorship election was not a contest between political parties but between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Nigerian Police and the Independent electoral Commission ( INEC)
“Edo governorship election was between the PDP, Security operatives/ INEC
“Security operatives/ INEC Contested with the Edo PDP, otherwise how does one explain the whole world followed the IREV and saw the posting of results from each of the polling units across the over four thousand units and as at 9pm on that Saturday of the election, we are aware that 95% of the total results from the over four thousand units have been released as posted on the IREV and we were already jubilating with the assurance that even if the APC won the remaining 5 % of the remaining results that the PDP would still overwhelmingly win the election with well over forty-five thousand votes.
“We never had any problem at the polling units but it was at the INEC collation center that we discovered that the All Progressives Congress (APC) thugs, aka lions and tigers have transformed into fierce looking police men with guns who paved the way for members of the APC to move into the collation center to subvert the Will of the People.
“You will agree with me that it is impossible to subvert the will of the people by rigging an election without the collaborative support of the Independent electoral Commission and the security agency which in this case is the Nigerian Police
According to Martins, the INEC made the election a must win for the All Progressives Congress (APC) following its actions and inactions.
He accused the electoral umpire and the security agencies most especially the Nigerian Police Force for providing the cover for the massive irregularities that took place at the collation process at the INEC State Collation Centre.
“The contestation for us was more of a contestation between the PDP and the security operatives in one hand led by Nigerian Police and then the Independent National Electoral Commission. Two of these agencies collaborated to rape democracy,” he said”.
He added that President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s body language and comments ahead of the governorship election were not unconnected with the rape of democracy witnessed during the September 21st governorship election in Edo State.
He however pointed out that the PDP was studying the results and would soon make public its next line of action.
