It was a success! – INEC

Post created on 9:23 am

INEC urged participants in the conduct of elections in Nigeria to prove that the success recorded in the Edo State poll was not a coincidence. INEC Director of Publicity, Andy Ezeani, said this in a statement in Abuja.

“The INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, has expressed appreciation to all those who worked to make the Edo State governorship election a success. While winding down the situation room on the governorship election at 2.20 pm, the Honourable chairman reminded all that there is no respite yet for all as the attention shifts to Ondo State where the commission will in three weeks conduct another governorship election.”

However, the Edo state poll was not without its share of violence, as one of the collation officers in the election disclosed that a group of suspected thugs unleashed violence in Ekpe ward in Etsako Central, leaving two INEC officials seriously injured.

The collation officer, Prof. Godswill Alaminiokuma, added that the development led to the cancellation of the exercise in the entire 11 units of the ward.

“There was cancellation of votes in Ekpe Ward 8. The votes in the entire 11 units were cancelled due to the violent disruption of the poll process to the extent that an INEC worker was shot, while the other was cut on the face,” Alaminiokuma.

Meanwhile the two main political parties in the state traded words over the outcome of Sunday’s election result. The APC in the state in a statement, titled, ‘APC alleges skewed election, to decide next step,’ issued by the Chairman of its Media Campaign Council, John Mayaki, the party rejected the result of the election. It further alleged that there was illicit tampering with results to shore up the PDP numbers and mark down APC’s. Areas where we won, they cancelled them.  They decreased the votes in areas we had advantage.”

“Obaseki shouted that he was being rigged out and blamed INEC at the initial stage but that was to divert attention from the evil going on in the field”, it stated.

On its part, the PDP in the state commended the people of the state for reelecting Obaseki. In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, the PDP said the victory showed that people had passed vote of confidence in Obaseki. It stated, “Now that the godfathers have been retired and the lions and tigers tamed, never will terror be unleashed on our people. Never will thugs serve as agents of government and role models.

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has said he will soon announce his next line of action after the declaration of Governor Godwin Obaseki the winner of the Saturday poll. He said this on his Facebook page.

“I assure you all that I am studying the results along with other party members and will announce the next line of action soon. God bless you all.”