The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed claims that efforts to conceal the alleged systemic rigging of the 21 September governorship election in the state will succeed......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
In a response to statements by the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Mr. Fred Itua, the PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, stated that any attempt to undermine the election’s credibility would fail.
Itua had accused former Governor Godwin Obaseki and PDP leaders of meeting with unnamed national newspaper editors to discredit Okpebholo’s victory.
Nehikhare questioned why the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be nervous if their win was legitimate and the election process was fair.
According to him, “We are compelled to respond to a regrettable statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, who made unfounded claims in a desperate attempt to discredit the independent analysis by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership. This analysis, conducted by a non-partisan research body, exposed the manipulation that tainted the 21 September governorship election.”
Nehikhare continued: “The analysis, supported by solid evidence and data, clearly shows the rigging orchestrated by the electoral commission, INEC, to favour the APC. Okpebholo’s desperate efforts to distract from these facts only highlight their fear of the truth and refusal to face the consequences of their fraudulent actions.
“We want to clarify that the centre did not release this report as election observers; it is the result of a meticulous examination of documents and data provided by INEC itself.”
Nehikhare also expressed sympathy for Okpebholo and his team, acknowledging their discomfort with digital tools and data, which he believes explains their hostile reaction to the independent analysis. Rather than addressing the data, they resorted to “baseless claims and smear campaigns,” he stated.
He added: “We understand their discomfort; they clearly struggle with data. But the data is a true reflection of the election, drawn from INEC’s own records, which revealed widespread rigging and manipulation—an act of daylight robbery, carried out openly without masks.”
Nehikhare criticised Okpebholo and the APC for focusing on personal attacks and intimidation, rather than addressing the serious allegations about the election’s credibility.
He accused them of threatening public servants and Edo citizens who dare to speak out against the alleged fraud.
The PDP spokesman urged Okpebholo to focus on governance, noting that his continuous fixation on the previous PDP government increasingly resembled the bitterness of a jilted lover.
“The people of Edo State have spoken through the ballot in the 21 September election. Their mandate cannot be erased by lies, intimidation, or unfounded claims. We remain unwavering in our commitment to reclaim our party’s mandate and trust that the judiciary will deliver justice,” Nehikhare declared.
