A pro-democracy organization, the Initiative for Democratic Advancement and Free Speech, has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State to accept the results of the governorship election held on September 21. Instead of engaging in media propaganda to influence public opinion, the group believes the PDP should acknowledge the outcome.
In the election, APC’s Monday Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes, defeating PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes. Despite this clear result, the PDP has alleged fraud and announced plans to contest the results in court.
Patrick Osaigbovo, the executive director of the initiative, expressed concern over the PDP’s reliance on certain partisan groups that claim to be election observer organizations. He emphasized that these groups have exceeded their mandates by publicly disputing the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Osaigbovo pointed out that the role of observer groups is strictly to observe elections and provide recommendations to INEC, not to reject or challenge the declared results. He stressed that the PDP should understand the distinction between election observers and monitors, with INEC being the only official election monitor in Nigeria.
Read aslo: Okpebholo Declared Winner of Edo Governorship Election
The statement urged the PDP to abandon what they described as “chasing illusions” and instead concentrate on preparing for the next election cycle in 2028. The organization believes that focusing on future elections is more productive than contesting the current results.
In response, Reverend Olu Martins, the Deputy Director-General of Media for the PDP Campaign Council, dismissed the claims made by the pro-democracy group as baseless. He defended the role of election observers, asserting that they have been part of the electoral system for some time and play a crucial role in monitoring election processes.
Martins noted that many observers concluded that the electoral processes were free and fair at the polling units. He highlighted the need for continuous improvement in Nigeria’s electoral system to ensure transparency and fairness in future elections.
Ultimately, the situation underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding election results in Nigeria, reflecting the challenges faced by political parties in accepting outcomes and the importance of credible observation in the electoral process.
