At a press conference held on Saturday at the party secretariat in Jos, the state capital, the APC chairman in the state, Rufus Bature, stated that the party would not accept the outcome of the exercise.

According to Bature, the Wednesday LG election was flawed, rigged, and unacceptable by any standard. He stated that the election was the worst ever conducted in the state’s political history.

The chairman faulted the distribution of sensitive materials to local government areas and subsequently to various electoral wards and polling units.

He said, “It is a fact that election materials particularly ballot papers were grossly inadequate as polling units, mostly those perceived as APC strongholds, were deliberately given 10% to 20% of what were required.

“Furthermore in those earmarked areas, results sheets were not provided at all for reasons best known to PLSIEC. Despite all complaints and representations made to the electoral officers, nothing changed. Added to this unfortunate scenario was the supply of malfunctioned voting machines which never worked, and in most polling units, the machines hardly lasted more than two hours.

“This, we know is a clever way of rigging and also disenfranchising the people. Worst of all was the fact that election never took place in some areas and there was reported stuffing of ballot papers in PDP strongholds.

Inspite of these manipulations and sophistry by PLASIEC and the PDP-led government, the people never wavered but instead voted the candidates of their choices.

“PLASIEC officials particularly returning officers absconded across the entire states without waiting to collate the results as stipulated by law.”

Bature, however, called on the supporters of his party to remain calm and resilient to the party, assuring that the party would do everything possible to regain its mandates.

The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Edo State, Olumide Akpata, on Saturday said he won’t challenge the result of the September 21 gubernatorial election.

Akpata emerged third with 22, 763 votes in the election. He lost to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, who raked in 291,667 votes to defeat PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, who came second with 247,274 votes.

Three weeks after the contest, Akpata said he wouldn’t approach the Tribunal, despite citing irregularities and electoral malpractice in the exercise.

“My decision not to contest the election results at the tribunal is not an indication of compromise; rather, it is a strategic move aimed at redirecting our energies towards systemic changes that our democracy desperately needs,” he said.

This moment calls for a paradigm shift in our approach to electoral reform. We cannot continue to operate within a system that incentivises manipulation and disenfranchisement.”

Representatives of six of the eighteen political parties that took part in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State have adjourned the inspection of electoral materials at the  headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Benin, till October 14.

The political parties’ representatives jointly took the decision yesterday after a crucial meeting.

The election petitions tribunal-ordered joint inspection of election materials faced challenges in the last few days, but the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Edo, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, assured that all the hitches had been resolved for the exercise to progress as planned.

Representatives of the political parties, however, noted that their decision to shift the joint inspection till Monday was based on INEC’s inability to commence the inspection yesterday.

The resolution was signed by representatives of six political parties that participated in the election won by Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The representatives were Obodeje Oghorin, counsel to All Progressives Party (APP); Kenny Isokpan, Edo Chairman of Boot Party (BP); Osahon Obamogie, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP); Sylvester Ugberase, counsel to Action Peoples Party (APP); Dr. Bishop Akahaime, of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP); and Jarret Tenebe, Edo Chairman of APC.

The representatives also indicated that the rescheduled inspection of electoral materials would commence at 11 a.m. at the  headquarters of INEC, thereby obeying the order of the tribunal.

Meanwhile, INEC has debunked the allegations of BVAS machine smuggling in Edo, describing it as baseless, unsubstantiated and without merit.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) had, in a petition to INEC on October  10, alleged that PDP members had smuggled BVAS machines and voter registers into INEC’s office in Benin.

However, in a statement in Benin yesterday, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Dr Anugbum Onuoha, said that the commission had completed its investigation into the allegations and found it to be baseless, unsubstantiated and without merit.

Onuoha reassured the public that at no time were BVAS machines or voter registers compromised or unlawfully accessed by any political party or external party.

He said that INEC remained fully committed to safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.

“Recognising the seriousness of these claims, the commission conducted its investigation with the highest level of rigour, professionalism and impartiality.

“As an institution tasked with ensuring free, fair and credible elections, INEC will not tolerate any form of malpractice.

“The integrity of all electoral materials, including BVAS, remains fully intact and secure,” he said.

Onuoha stated that in compliance with a recent court order, INEC was ready to facilitate the inspection of election materials and would ensure transparency in the handling of the BVAS machines and adherence to the rule of law.

He urged all political parties to cooperate during the inspection process.

The REC also advised political actors to focus on strengthening democratic principles and avoid actions that could erode public confidence in the electoral system.

He said that the commission remained steadfast in its commitment to neutrality and excellence in electoral administration, and ensuring credible outcomes in all elections.