PDP National Caucus Rejects Edo Governorship Election Outcome

The Peoples Democratic Party rejected the outcome of the Edo State governorship election describing the process as a charade.

The opposition party made the statement at an enlarged National Caucus meeting held on Wednesday evening at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja and presided over by the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi.

A statement by a spokesman for the party, Chinwe Nnorom, said that the meeting was well attended with the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jubrin, Principal Officers of the National Assembly, Governors of Ondo, Taraba, Bayelsa, Gombe, other members of the National Caretaker Committee, National Vice Chairmen, former Governors, former Ministers, other members of BoT and other members of the National Executive Committee (NEC).

The Meeting was held to allow members brief the National Caucus on the status of the Party and the ongoing reconciliation process.

Daylight Robbery

Mr Nnorom said: “The National Caucus frowned at the brazen display of avarice and desperation against the Edo electorates and democracy on September 28 and 29, 2016 by the ruling APC in collaboration with INEC and security agencies all in the name of Governorship Election.

“Consequently, the Meeting unanimously rejected the outcome of the charade that took place in Edo State”.

The National Caucus further called on all members of the party nationwide and in Edo State in particular to remain calm and resilient in the face of “this daylight robbery of their mandate to our Candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. We believe that justice will be served”.

While the PDP has continued to put forward allegations of malpractices in the election, the INEC has dismissed its claims, saying that the election was free and fair and was conducted based on the stipulations of the Electoral Act.

Before the announcement of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC),  Mr Godwin Obaseki, as the winner of the election, the PDP had accused the INEC of collaborating with the ruling APC to rig the election at the collation centre.