Edo guber: We were rigged out –PDP
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Sun News Publishing
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FAITH OMORUYIDespite congratulatory messages from President Goodluck Jonathan and other chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to re-elected Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the Edo State chapter of the party yesterday alleged that it was rigged out of last Saturday’s governorship election.
In a statement signed by the state Chairman, Chief Dan Osi Orbih, the party alleged that the released results reflected that they were pre-arranged before the polls were taken. The statement also alleged that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state allowed the use of cloned voters’ cards at voting centres.
It noted that there had been reports in the media prior to the close of the polls that the incumbent governor and winner of the recent election, Adams Oshiomhole, had accused Edo PDP and INEC of colluding to compromise the integrity of the election.
“Just before the close of polls of the July 14, 2012 Governorship Election in Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, in a reaction before the media, strongly indicted and accused Professor Attahiru Jega and Edo State INEC of colluding with Edo PDP to compromise the integrity of the election. “This accusation, which arose from the governor’s observations on the conduct of the election is also published in the national newspapers of July 15, 2012.
“Edo PDP agrees totally with Governor Oshiomhole that the election was fraught with high and pervasive irregularities. In addition to the governor’s observed ‘high and pervasive irregularities,’ Edo PDP wishes to record the following facts and to make them public.
“The released results show a pattern of figures being prearranged. There are infallible reasons to believe that figures had been allocated to the various voting units in the eighteen local government areas long before the election took place.
“INEC officials at polling units illegally permitted the use of photocopied and cloned voters’ cards to vote at the centres. This gave rise to multiple voting from people who were not qualified to vote at those centres. It also made it possible for vote figures to be bloated and falsified. You will recall that Governor Oshiomhole at the stakeholders meeting of July 6, 2012 in Benin City, tendered some of these cards to INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega as exhibits,” the statement said.
The statement further alleged that in several units, voters were deliberately prevented from voting through non provision of authentic voters’ registers, adding that “of the over one million two hundred registered voters for the election, only a little over six hundred were accredited.”
However, while thanking its supporters and the people in the state, the party urged its party members to be calm as it would consider all available options regarding the election.
