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Edo: We’ll reclaim our stolen mandate –PDP

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, has said the party has filed a petition against the September 21 governorship election ‘robbery’, noting that the party was confident it would reclaim its stolen mandate.

He told journalists yesterday in Benin City, that the PDP was aware of the devious plot by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to stall the order given by a competent court for the PDP to inspect election materials at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Aduwawa, and were tactical, thereby beating the APC to its own game.

The PDP chair said: “We have begun the journey to reclaim the people’s mandate and a petition has been filed before the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal. Against all odds, the petition has been filed as the APC’s plan is for us not to successfully file the petition. The mandate given to PDP will be reclaimed.

“We have put our fingers where the problem is and the election tribunal will surely give us our mandate based on overwhelming evidence before them.”

Aziegbemi said while the PDP was busy gathering evidence to pursue its case at the tribunal, the APC and its chairman, Jarret Tenebe, were lying and spreading falsehood to actualise the evil ploy of the APC.

“As our party was busy gathering evidence for the petition, the APC and its chairman, Jarret Tenebe, were busy peddling lies. He lied that the PDP was disrupting activities in the INEC office forgetting that the process was in the interest of the PDP. Why should PDP now be the party to disrupt the exercise that was in its favour?

“If the APC truly won the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, why are they causing confusion and problems in the INEC office? They lie without thinking it through.

“Jarrett and the APC are the ones stealing the people’s phones and the POS operators’ money. They were disrupting the process because it was not in their favour. If you won, why fight hard to stop the other person from inspecting the process? Are you stopping the people to see how you won?

“On September 24, 2024, I penned a memo to the national headquarters of INEC in Abuja. I premised that memo on the provision of the Electoral Act, section 65 (1C), the powers of INEC to review results after one week of declaration. The reply from INEC will shock you.

“They said in their reply that the section of the Electoral Act is for internal purposes only, not for outsiders or candidates or party’s use on a declaration already made by returning officers.”

On the release of the PDP chieftains arrested before the elections, Aziegbemi said: “Before the election, most of our members were arrested by a special unit of the Nigerian Police from Abuja. It might interest you to note that most of the guys have been released as they paid cumulatively about N64 million and the police said bail is free.

“As we speak, they are still planning to arrest more of our members just to make sure we don’t get together to pursue our cause. We have taken a decision on briefing you weekly to enable you to know the happenings in the political scene.”

Director General of the PDP Governorship Campaign Council, Mathew Iduoriyekemwen said: “Democracy gives us the constitutional right to vote for who will lead us and that constitutional right can’t be denied Edo people; that is why we have taken steps to pursue our case to a logical conclusion.”

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