PDP rejects Edo election results, plans lawsuit

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially rejected the results of the Edo State governorship election, recently announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a press conference in Abuja, PDP National Chairman Umar Damagum urged concerned Nigerians to support the party’s stance on the election results. He asserted that the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, was the legitimate winner and criticized the electoral process for failing to live up to democratic standards.

“Therefore, the PDP categorically rejects the final result of the Edo State Governorship election as determined by the Electoral Commission as it does not meet the minimum standards of democracy and does not reflect the will and aspirations of the people,” Damagum asserted while emphasizing the need for the Electoral Commission to review the election results in accordance with the 2022 Electoral Act.

He announced that his party would take legal action to challenge the election results and called on Edo residents to remain resilient. “From the various political events taking place in the country, the latest being the blatant rigging of the Edo State Governorship election on Saturday, September 21, 2024 by the All Progressives Congress (APC), it is clear that our democracy is under threat,” he said.

Read also: Ighodalo claims ‘blatant theft’ of mandate in Edo election

Damagum further alleged that the election was compromised through collusion with security forces and officials of the Electoral Commission. He named several individuals, and stated, “You may recall that the PDP has warned several times about the evil plans of the APC to subvert the election.”

He stressed that Ighodalo was elected by the people and their will must be respected. “Nigerians and the world watched in horror as the APC-compromised security forces and hoodlums unleashed terror, harassing, arresting and detaining PDP members,” he said, accusing the APC of manipulating the electoral process to sway the outcome in their favour.

Despite the violence and intimidation, Damagum claimed, “The results obtained from the Polling Unit showed that our candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo clearly won the election before the numbers were changed in the counting of votes at the state level.”

He called for solidarity from all Nigerians in rejecting what he called an attack on democratic rights. Asked about the party’s confidence in the judiciary, Damagum said: “In this election, we will once again test the readiness of the judiciary to deliver justice where it is needed.” He ended with a stark warning: “They say when the justice system is not working, you don’t have a country.”

PDP rejects Edo election results, plans lawsuit first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.