Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of stealing
Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of stealing the Edo State governorship election for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governors described the election which was conducted on September 21, 2024, as “a rape of democracy” and called for urgent reforms of the country’s electoral process.
Rising from a meeting in Jos, the Plateau State capital on Saturday, the governors scoffed at the Edo election, claiming that the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo won majority of lawful votes at the poll.
The meeting, chaired by the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Bala Mohammad of Bauchi State, urged the judiciary to act decisively to protect the country’s democracy.
In a communique issued after the meeting, the governors called for legal interventions to challenge outcomes of elections that smacked of institutional sabotage with a view to reversing them.
They also called on the National Assembly to review the country’s electoral laws to prevent manipulation in the future and to ensure that the will of the people is upheld.
“The Forum notes with concern the rape of democracy in Edo Governorship elections. It is clear to everyone with conscience that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) manipulated results in favour of the APC candidate when in fact majority of lawful votes were won by the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
“The Forum calls on the judiciary to save Nigerian democracy and the National Assembly to look into our electoral laws to make it difficult for institutional sabotage of the will of the people,” the communique added.
The opposition governors said they were still studying documents from the November 16, 2024 Ondo State governorship election, “where the APC manipulated results after openly buying votes.”
The Forum expressed concerns about the leadership crisis rocking the PDP but affirmed its commitment to unity and cohesion in the party.
The governors acquiesced to the decision of the leadership of the PDP to postpone the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting for the umpteenth time.
The Forum advised the Umar Damagum led National Working Committee (NWC) to convene the NEC by first week of February 2025, after consultations with key stakeholders.
The NWC had, on Friday, postponed the NEC meeting scheduled for November 28, 2024, ostensibly because of the burial of the wife of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno coming up on November 29.
The PDP governors also expressed serious concern over the prevailing economic hardship in the country, blaming the APC led administration for the woes.
They called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently review both macroeconomic and fiscal policies with a view to easing the economic strain on Nigerians.
“The Forum empathises with Nigerians who are groaning under the oppressive economic hardship foisted on the nation by the policies and decisions of the APC-led Federal Government.”
“We call on President Bola Tinubu to urgently review these policies to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians and to provide hope for a better future,” the governors said.
The meeting was attended by a number of key party stakeholders, including members of the National Working Committee (NWC), the Board of Trustees (BOT), the National Assembly Forum, Former Governors’ Forum, Former Ministers’ Forum, and other prominent party leaders.
