As criticisms and commendations keep pouring in from different interests regarding the just concluded Gubernatorial election in Edo State, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Candidate in the poll, Asue Ighodalo, has expressed confidence of winning his case at the Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal.
Ighodalo lost to Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by a vote margin of 44,393 votes in the keenly contested September 21 governorship election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ighodalo who lost to Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by a vote margin of 44,393 votes in the keenly contested September 21 governorship election described the election as not free and fair.
According to him, his legal team has identified over 150 polling units that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was not deployed.
“There is a lot of data, information, and evidence that we have. We are fully confident that going through the tribunal, we will win the case.
“We will regain our mandate and we are clear without any doubt that we are the winners of the election last Saturday,” he stated.
During the show, the PDP candidate accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and police operatives of subverting the will of Edo people.
According to Ighodalo, Edo people overwhelmingly voted for him and his party in last Saturday’s election.
He alleged that the APC rigged the election in collaboration with electoral officials.
“We didn’t rig. When APC and INEC saw that APC was losing woefully, they then subverted the electoral laws and the guidelines.
Meanwhile it’s been a different song for Solomon Okoduwa, a former Senior Special Assistant to outgoing Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki, who has expressed happiness over the victory of the state’s newly elected governor, Monday Okpebholo, describing him as a “God-sent” leader.
Okoduwa who spoke in an interview with Daily Trust made it clear that Okpebholo’s victory is a sign of divine intervention, as according to him it serves as a punishment for Obaseki, whom he accused of governing with “wickedness, vendetta, and high-handedness.”
He expressed strong confidence in Okpebholo’s character, highlighting his humility and approachability throughout the campaign.
“Okpebholo, from his background, is God-sent. The way he addresses issues and relates to people, you will never see arrogance in him,” Okoduwa stated.
