ALL INDICATIONS arose yesterday that the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may challenge in court the results of the just-concluded House of Assembly elections in state.
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) won 19 out of the 24-member seats and the PDP clinched four with the last seat in Igueben yet to be concluded.
The PDP alleged that there were obvious irregularities in some areas during the polls.
Speaking with reporter yesterday, the state PDP chairman, Dan Orbih, said the party’s lawyers were already compiling evidence to boost their claims for legal challenge of the results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said the party had rejected the results from Ovia South-West Council where he alleged that a policeman, who was not officially expected to be in the area, was sighted apparently to assist in the manipulation of the process.
Besides, he said some persons dressed in police uniform, whom he claimed were members of the ACN, were arrested for snatching election materials in Igueben Ward Eight, Unit Three. These two incidents led to a re-run ordered by INEC in the area.
Orbih said similar cases of election manipulation also characterised the exercise in Etsako-Central Council just as he said that in Uhunmwonde, collation of results has not been completed yet because of mutilation of INEC result sheets; EC8B form by returning officers in Wards 1,2,3,4,6,7 and 10.
“We condemn the conduct of the election in Edo State in its entirety and we urge our members in the various constituencies to remain calm as we will hand over these issues to our legal team for proper examination and possible action.
He added: “The issue of going to court is one of the series of options available to the party to pursue. It has been established that the elections were not free and fair but how come that in all the elections conducted in the state, once people are arrested for criminal activities, they are always from the ACN?”
But the state chairman of the ACN, Thomas Okosun, has since denied the allegations, saying it wasn’t his party members that snatched election materials in the area.
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) won 19 out of the 24-member seats and the PDP clinched four with the last seat in Igueben yet to be concluded.
The PDP alleged that there were obvious irregularities in some areas during the polls.
Speaking with reporter yesterday, the state PDP chairman, Dan Orbih, said the party’s lawyers were already compiling evidence to boost their claims for legal challenge of the results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said the party had rejected the results from Ovia South-West Council where he alleged that a policeman, who was not officially expected to be in the area, was sighted apparently to assist in the manipulation of the process.
Besides, he said some persons dressed in police uniform, whom he claimed were members of the ACN, were arrested for snatching election materials in Igueben Ward Eight, Unit Three. These two incidents led to a re-run ordered by INEC in the area.
Orbih said similar cases of election manipulation also characterised the exercise in Etsako-Central Council just as he said that in Uhunmwonde, collation of results has not been completed yet because of mutilation of INEC result sheets; EC8B form by returning officers in Wards 1,2,3,4,6,7 and 10.
“We condemn the conduct of the election in Edo State in its entirety and we urge our members in the various constituencies to remain calm as we will hand over these issues to our legal team for proper examination and possible action.
He added: “The issue of going to court is one of the series of options available to the party to pursue. It has been established that the elections were not free and fair but how come that in all the elections conducted in the state, once people are arrested for criminal activities, they are always from the ACN?”
But the state chairman of the ACN, Thomas Okosun, has since denied the allegations, saying it wasn’t his party members that snatched election materials in the area.
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