#EdoDecides2024: Obaseki condemns conduct of poll, encourages aggrieved parties to seek redress in court

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has condemned the conduct of Saturday’s governorship election but called for calm and subtly encouraged aggrieved parties to seek redress in court.

Mr Obaseki’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost the election to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, in the keenly contested election.

“Clearly it is obvious to the least discerning, the amount of impunity and reckless disregard for processes and law that was displayed in this gubernatorial election,” Mr Obaseki said in a recorded video he shared via his X account apparently after the APC candidate was declared winner of the election on Sunday.

Mr Obaseki, who leaves office after completing his second term on 12 November, painted a picture of democracy coming under an assault in the manner of the conduct of the election.

“The attractive thing about democracy is the power it bestows on the people to choose who governs them. Therefore, when this power is blatantly seized from the people, it is just a tragedy but a travesty of democracy,” he said.

Subtly calling on aggrieved parties, which might include his party’s candidate to seek redress in court, Mr Obaseki said, “In a democracy there are always safeguards for addressing grievances and we hope that all those affected will seek resolution for this blatant disregard of law and process.”

However, Mr Ighodalo or any other candidate in the election has yet to disclose any plan to file a petition at the governorship election tribunal. The election tribunal offers a 21-day window to any aggrieved candidate and their political parties a 21-day window to file their petitions after the declaration of results.

Mr Obaseki had alleged impartiality of the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the lead-up to the election that was marked by violence and trading of blames.

The governor’s late night visit to INEC office in Benin City, the state capital, after voting ended and final collation of results was being awaited on Saturday. He would later justify the step which he said was informed by INEC’s silence on some anomalies taking place during the election.

Many observer groups alleged widespread irregularities such as vote-buying by both the PDP and the APC agents and lack of transparency and violation of extant laws in the results collation processes during the election.

Late on Sunday, INEC declared Mr Okpebholo of the APC the winner of the election with 291,667 votes. He defeated his closest rival, Mr Ighodalo of the PDP, who secured 247,274. Fifteen other candidates, including Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party, who came a distant third, received intangible votes.

Like Governor Obaseki, the PDP protested against the conduct of the election, alleging irregularities during the voting, and counting and collation of results at various levels.

However, top members of the APC maintained that the result is a true reflection of the will of the people of Edo State.

‘Remain calm’

Governor Obaseki urged the citizens to remain calm in the face of despair and provocation they might have suffered during the election.

“Regrettably, the outcome of the September 21st governorship election appears to have daunted the spirit of many Edo people who feel powerless in the face of the brute force of the institutions that are supposed to protect them. It is therefore understandable that many people feel sad and aggrieved.

“But in the midst of this despair, I am urging all my fellow Edo citizens to maintain calm and not resort to violence and the destruction of property in spite of this provocation. Peace and justice will always win in the end, and this is my prescription to all the good people of Edo state who feel vexed and violated at this time.”