Collation of results: Too many funny things going on – Ighodalo

Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Saturday’s governorship in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo has said there are “so many funny things” going on as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) awaits to collate results of the election.

NaijaOnPoint.com.ng (NOP) reports Ighodalo said this in the wee hours of Sunday when he visited the INEC headquarters in Edo State to protest, accusing the electoral umpire and the police of complicity.

“We actually are not sure what is happening. There are supposed to have been collation in some of the local governments area in Oredo and Ikpoba. But, all of a sudden, some people came in, threw teargas and kind of drove everybody that was there outside.

“They now insisted that all of those collations should come to the INEC headquarters. The problem is that our agents started telling us that they were not being allowed access into the INEC headquarters. So, my deputy and I came in here to find out why they are not being allowed in.

“There are too many funny things going on all of a sudden with INEC and police complicity working together and this cannot be right for democracy in this country. They are trying to subvert the will of the people of Edo State and it will not happen,” Ighodalo said.

Earlier, PDP had in a statement Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary of the party, raised an alarm of plots to invade collation centres and change results of the election overnight.

The statement reads: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alerts of plots by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use its armed thugs to violently assault the Edo State Governorship election Collation Center, disrupt the collation process and change results from the Polling Units which have our candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo in clear lead.

“Intelligence available to the PDP indicates that the APC is mounting pressure on the INEC Chairman and Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to suspend the collation process so as to make way for the manipulation of the INEC Portal and replace the real results from the Units with fabricated figures in favour of the APC.

“Our Party has also been made aware that the APC is mounting pressure on the Military to withdraw from their positions so as to enable the APC convey its armed thugs to disrupt and manipulate the collation process.

“The PDP in very strong terms cautions INEC and the APC to note that the people of Edo State already have authentic results from the Polling Units across the State and that any attempt by anybody or group whatsoever to alter the results will inflame the already charged situation with very severe consequences on perpetrators.

“INEC must not lose sight of the violent protest that trailed the criminal attempt by the former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Hudu Ari to alter the outcome of the 2023 Governorship election in that State which nearly led to the death of some INEC officials.

“INEC and the APC must note that any attempt to change the results of the Edo State governorship election will provoke worse consequences as the people have indicated their readiness to use every means allowed in a democracy including legitimate physical confrontation, if necessary to protect their votes.

“The PDP charges the Electoral Commission to resist the pressure by the APC and ensure that nobody tampers with the results as obtained from the Polling Units.

“Our Party commends the military for its professionalism in defending our democracy in the Edo State governorship election and urges the Military High Command not to succumb to the pressure from the APC to withdraw from their posts and allow for the manipulation of the process.

“The PDP again charges the people of Edo State to remain at the Coalition Center in their numbers and monitor the collation process so as to ensure that their Will as expressed in the election is affirmed”.