Over three weeks after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Senator Monday Okpebholo as Governor-Elect in Edo State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, are facing backlash from a pro-democracy group. The Initiative for Democratic Advancement and Free Speech accused the PDP of relying on media propaganda instead of accepting the election results.
Patrick Osaigbovo, the group’s Executive Director, criticized the PDP’s focus on INEC’s Results Viewing Portal (iREV), claiming the party is trying to undermine state institutions. He noted that the PDP failed to engage voters directly and instead relied on external sentiments and media appearances.
Osaigbovo further alleged that the PDP prematurely released results from its “Situation Room” during the election, aiming to sway public opinion. He emphasized that INEC guidelines stipulate that results should be uploaded to the iREV after voting ends.
In response, the PDP Campaign Council’s Deputy Director-General, Reverend Olu Martins, dismissed the accusations as baseless and unsubstantiated, adding that election observers had deemed the process fair at the polling units. The PDP maintains that the election results should be scrutinized to improve Nigeria’s electoral system.
