The
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has stated that results released by the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are fake and that the figures
contradict the one announced at various units and as collated at various wards
across the state. The PDP in a press statemen said that it rejected the
election because ‘the details of the results released by INEC are all fake’.
The
Press statement read thus "The PDP in Edo State, after carefully reviewing the
events of yesterday September 28th, 2016, totally rejects the purported outcome
of the voting exercise and the results announced by INEC. Firstly, we are in
total amazement at the details of the results released by INEC because all of
them are fake and not the figures announced at various units and as collated at
various wards across the state. The fake results announced by INEC are entirely
a fabrication which do not reflect the true picture of what transpired during
the election.
However, we are not totally surprised because long before now, we
had anticipated this and had also warned INEC, security agencies and alerted
Edo people at various press conferences and statements, on this situation.
Secondly, based on the results emanating from across the state, PDP won the
election fair and square, and with a very comfortable margin. So it is with
disgust that we have been receiving fake results which were never recorded in
either the units or the ward collation centers.
Our
rejection of the results released by INEC so far is based on, but not limited
to, the following We know that a fair turnout of voters was recorded statewide
because the weather was very clement and voters were enthusiastic. However,
unknown to unsuspecting Edo electorate, INEC had long provided the serial
numbers of all result sheets to Adams Oshiomole and his APC government, to
print fresh result sheets. This is not a mere allegation. From the benefit of
hindsight, the 18 day period of postponement of the election was to provide
enough time for the Governor and his government to print these result sheets
and perfect the writing of fake results at the units and at all levels of
collation. This scenario is further buttressed by the fact that on Monday
September 26th, 2016, when election materials arrived from the CBN at INEC
state office for inspection, agents of the political parties including the APC
and PDP were given pre-typed copies of the serial numbers of all result sheets
and the ballot papers. This was a clear security breach and an infringement on
the credibility of the process, as these are sensitive materials, which should
not have been sighted even by INEC officers. Everything that has transpired had
been carefully designed by the Adams Oshiomole led Edo State government and
their cohorts in INEC. They perfected a scheme to void thousands of ballot
papers, to enable them perpetrate their devices. It is widely recorded that
over 88% of the voided ballots were PDP votes. Postings of Commissioners of
Police and and removal of officers from their units, even during the voting
exercise, was a clear plot to destabilize the security apparatus in various LGAs
and Senatorial districts. The same goes for the DSS personnel across the state.
Choice of collation from places they chose as well as the choice of the state
returning officer, in the person of a close friend and associate of former
Governors Fayemi and Niyi Adebayo of Ekiti State, who are top APC chieftains.
They also prevented our agents in many cases from entering collation centers.
There are numerous accounts and records of Police harassment all over the
state, designed to strike fear in the hearts of PDP members, using men of the
CID (Criminal Investigation Department), SARS, MOPOL 60 Command, DSS and other
security agencies. Of particular concern is the atrocious gangsterism
demonstrated in Etsako West, the home of the incumbent APC Governor and the deputy
governor nominee, where many of our members and agents were assaulted, almost
mortally, and some still being detained as we speak. Those still detained
include Michael Etu, Gabriel Etu and Mohammed Sani. Also, a Honda Accord
vehicle, with registration number FST 868 BC, belonging to one of our stalwarts
was destroyed, and is still lying at the voting center.
