The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has condemned the conduct of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State.
“What happened over the weekend in the name of election in Edo State does not in any way represent the democratic process we chose as a method of electing our political leadership.
“Instead, it was a blatant example of ‘state capture’ and continued gross undermining of our democratic process and values,” Obi said in a Monday post on X.
On Sunday night, a day after the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the keenly contested election.
INEC said the APC candidate secured 291,667 votes, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 247,274 votes while Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata scored 22,763 votes.
However, Obi said the election was flawed with irregularities that those in authority should not allow to stand.
He said, “As a country, we have invested significantly in IReV and BVAS, and they must be allowed to function and used properly in order to free our electoral process from the massive falsification that has plagued it and worsening.
“To the agencies and individuals being used to undermine our democracy simply because they hold positions of authority, please remember that your time in office is not eternal. The society that you are helping to destroy today will eventually take her revenge on you tomorrow.
“To the lecturers and others complicit in perpetuating this charade, you must reflect deeply on the roles you are playing in damaging the very foundation of our democracy.
“The damage you are causing today will inevitably take revenge on you tomorrow and affect your children in the future.
“This kind of action has no place in a true democracy. That is why I have always maintained that today’s politics is not about capturing power, but about saving the country and making it work for everyone, regardless of their background.”