The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship election campaign council has condemned the outcome of the Edo State governorship election, holding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu responsible.
Rev. Olu Martins, Deputy Director-General of the council, addressed the press in Benin, stating, “It was clear that the president wants to turn this nation into a one-party state… This is not an election, this is state capture.”
Martins alleged that President Tinubu’s statement promising to deliver Edo to the APC emboldened the party to manipulate the election. “When he made that unstatesmanly statement… it was a clear invitation for anarchy,” he said.
The PDP chieftain claimed the election was not between the APC and PDP but between the PDP and security operatives, including the Nigeria Police and INEC, who “came together to rape democracy.”
Martins expressed confidence in the PDP’s victory, stating that even with the remaining 5% of votes, they would have won by over 45,000 votes. However, the outcome was altered at the collation center.
He rejected the election’s legitimacy, saying, “Monday Okpebholo is not my governor… Not when you have a rape of democracy and by all definition, the worst election that INEC may have ever conducted.”
Martins advised PDP members and supporters to remain calm, assuring that the party leadership will announce their next steps after studying the results.
