APC, Okpebholo in disarray, unable to defend electoral heist – Edo PDP
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, of being in “complete disarray” as they struggle to defend alleged electoral malpractice in the September 21 governorship election.
In a statement on Tuesday, Chris Nehikhare, Publicity Secretary of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, said, “Realizing that they cannot defend the indefensible, the APC has now resorted to outlandish propaganda, twisting facts and telling unintelligent lies in the media in a desperate and devious attempt to mask their obvious failure and manipulate public perception.”
Nehikhare noted that even the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which declared Okpebholo the winner, had abandoned its position and failed to present a witness to defend the declaration.
“Last week, INEC, the very institution that announced the APC and its candidate as winners, refused to defend its actions. After promising to do so, they failed to call a single witness,” he stated.
He added that Okpebholo’s legal team suffered a major setback when their sole witness admitted under cross-examination that over-voting had occurred.
“Rattled and humiliated, his lawyers abruptly shut down their own defense, running from the tribunal in full retreat,” Nehikhare alleged.
According to him, the APC, sensing trouble, pleaded for an adjournment, leading the tribunal to postpone proceedings to Wednesday, February 12.
He accused the APC of resorting to media manipulation instead of addressing the legal challenge.
“Instead of re-examining their losing legal strategy, the APC and their handlers have embarked on a voyage into the world of fantasy, aggressively sponsoring false narratives in the media and telling a completely different story from what actually transpired in court,” he said.
Nehikhare insisted that the tribunal’s records provided irrefutable evidence of electoral fraud.
“The evidence is clear: BVAS records, IREV data, and CTCs all tell the same story—the election was rigged, and Okpebholo has no business sitting as governor,” he stated.
He expressed confidence that the judiciary would overturn what he described as a “stolen mandate” and restore victory to the PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
“Nigerians cannot be deceived by unintelligent lies and cheap propaganda. The people witnessed the electoral robbery firsthand and are keenly following the tribunal’s proceedings. They are eagerly awaiting the judiciary to correct the wrong that was done on September 21, 2024.”
With the tribunal’s next hearing set for February 12, the legal battle over Edo’s governorship election remains heated.
