The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the results of the Edo State governorship election held on Wednesday, ahead of the announcement of the outcome.
The party rejected the results in a press conference addressed by its Chairman in the state, Mr Dan Orbih, on Thursday in Benin.
The press conference was also attended the party’s governorship candidate in the election, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Both the party and its candidate said they rejected the results because they were “fabricated and a pre-determined” by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Edo State Government.
INEC was announcing the results of the poll as at the time of filing this report.
Orbih said that the results as they were being announced by INEC, were at a complete variance with what the party got from its agents and independent observers.
He alleged that the two-week extension of the poll by the electoral body was to allow for more time to perfect the manipulation of the process.
“You will recall that our state Publicity Secretary had briefed the press less than 48 hours to the elections on what is playing out now.
“If you go by the results that were announced at the polling units and wards across the state, it shows that PDP would have won by over 30,000 votes.
“What INEC is announcing is clearly different from what we got from our agents and independent observers in the 192 wards and over 2,000 units across the state.
“We are rejecting these results as they were being announced by INEC and we are coming out early enough to make this known,”he said.
The chairman said the cancellation of some results on the basis of failed card reader was part of a deliberate plan to also manipulate the poll.
He alleged that the areas were results were cancelled were stronghold of the PDP.
“I wonder what the Incident Form is for. Voters should not be made to suffer unduly for the inefficiency of card readers,” he said.
He said the results as were being announced by INEC, were clearly at variance with the widely acclaimed voter- turnout that was also acknowledged by the electoral umpire itself.
On his part, the governorship candidate said he aligned himself with the position of the party.
“The results are not a true reflection of what happened in the field. The INEC only played a script written by the Government of Edo State,” he said.
Meanwhile, protesters have stormed the INEC office in Benin.
The protest, which started peacefully later turned violent, prompting the policemen who were around the premises to fire teargas canisters to disperse the protesters.
The protesters are supporters of the opposition PDP who believed they have been short-changed as far as the results released so far are concerned.
