Edo State chapter of the APC refuses to accept election results despite Buhari conceding defeat

MEMBERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign team in Edo State have rejected yesterday's election results that declared Governor Godwin Obaseki the winner of the recent gubernatorial elections

On Saturday Edo State went to the polls to elect a new governor in what was a bitter contest between the APC and PDP. Governor Obaseki was originally elected on the APC platform in 2016 but after falling out with former party chairman Adams Oshiomhole, leading to the party selecting Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as its candidate, he decamped to the main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Yesterday morning, Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec), declared Governor Obaseki the winner of the elections with 307,955 votes to Pastor Ize-Iyamu's 223,619 votes. Governor Obaseki won in 13 of the 18 local government areas of Edo State, receiving 59% of the vote.

President Muhammadu Buhari has already conceded defeat, accepting that his APC lost the election, congratulating Governor Obaseki. However, the local chapter of the APC in Edo State has refused to sheath its sword, accusing Governor Obaseki of manipulating Saturday’s elections.

Pastor Ize-Iyamu, the APC candidate has called on his party members to stay calm while he and other leaders study the election results. John Mayaki, the chairperson of the APC Media Campaign Council, said, however, that the party has rejected the result, citing alleged strong-arm tactics.

Mr Mayaki said: “Our people were arbitrarily arrested and many of the figures were fabricated. In areas where we won, they cancelled them and they decreased the votes in areas we had advantage. They rejected our results and jerked up theirs.”

In addition, the APC also said there were arbitrary arrests of its members who could have resisted the rigging and added that Governor Obaseki raised a false alarm. However, Inec has presented the result sheet to the governor-elect through Hon Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, the PDP agent and member representing Oredo Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives.