The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the keenly contested Edo governorship election. Obaseki, emerged APC candidate in June this year.
Obaseki, Chairman of the Edo State Economic and Strategy Team, defeated 11 other candidates, including Pius Odubu, deputy governor of the state. He won the election by polling 319,483 to defeat his closest rival, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who garnered 253,173 votes.
Accredited Voters were 622,039, wile Registered Voters were 1,900,223 Ize-Iyamu, a former Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Edo State Government, emerged PDP flagbearer in June 20. The election, earlier scheduled to hold Saturday September 10, was moved to Wednesday September 28, by INEC.
Meanwhile, Ize-Iyamu and his party, PDP, have rejected the results declared by INEC, even before the final tally. Ize-Iyamu told reporters at his Benin residence that INEC has carried out a “rape of democracy”.
He said “Contrary to claim that PDP brought in 8,000 militants, the election showed that PDP is law-abiding and did not involve in illegality. The delays in announcing official result by INEC was in order to announce predetermined fabricated results.
“The figures being announced by INEC do not represent the massive turnout. We have told our agents to bring all the results issued at the polling units. We do not want to rely on the messages they sent.
“In the next three or four days, we will have complete record. From findings, it is clear a lot of manipulation has taken place.”
However, the atmosphere in Edo is tensed, while security remains tightened.
-DP
