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PDP Senate Caucus insists Ighodalo’s mandate was stolen
The Senate Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the candidate of the party in the last governorship election in Edo State, Asuerinme Ighodalo, won the election.
Leader of the caucus, Abba Moro, stated this while addressing journalists after the Caucus meeting at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, on Wednesday.
The election was held on 21 September.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo, as the winner of the election having scored the highest votes.
INEC subsequently issued a certificate of return to Mr Okpebholo, a senator, and he has since been sworn in as governor of the state.
But Mr Moro, who is the Senate Minority Leader, insisted that the PDP’s mandate was stolen in the state and vowed that the party would work hard to retrieve its mandate.
“Well, everybody is worried for the Nigerian democracy and INEC has taken notes here and there over the conduct of the election. But every failure is a lesson for future adventures.
“We sincerely hope that we work hard like in Edo state where the mandate of the PDP was stolen. We will work hard to make sure that the people’s mandate is restored where it doesn’t happen, like I said, failure is a mechanism for future success,” he said.
Ganduje’s comment
The caucus also responded to a comment by the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, that the ruling party would soon take over all the South-west states.
The APC is currently ruling four of the six South-west states – Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti.
The PDP is in power in Oyo and Osun States.
Mr Moro, who represents Benue South Senatorial District, said the leadership of the PDP would ensure it retains the states in subsequent elections.
“The PDP has taken note of that statement, and we have a government in Osun state now, and we want to retain that position,” he said.
PDP Crisis
The senate minority leader said the leadership of the PDP is striving hard to return the party to its winning days.
“Damagun is the acting chairman of PDP. The PDP is not just about Damagun. The PDP is about members of the PDP. We are working round the clock to make sure that PDP gets back to its winning ways. When we were winning as PDP, other political parties were losing.
“So, what is this brouhaha about PDP losing the election? It is painful to lose the election, no doubt about it. But as I said, it is a common axiom that if you fail today and you are able to stand up, you strategise to win tomorrow.
“And so, whatever we have lost today as PDP, we are working hard, and part of the working hard is the meeting that the caucus has held today to strategise towards ensuring that we do not lose future elections, including the election in Osun state,” Mr Moro said.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s family residence in Kogi was reportedy invaded by gunmen around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16, leaving damaged windows but no injuries.
The incident happened at her hometown residence in Obeiba-Ihima, located in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Sources familiar with the event said the attackers arrived around 1:00 a.m. Armed with cutlasses and guns, they damaged parts of the building, smashing windows and causing panic in the area. At least three men were involved in the attack.
Senator Natasha’s Chief Security Officer, Yakubu Ovanja, quickly informed the appropriate security agencies.
In response, officers from the Okehi Police Division rushed to the scene.
Although nobody was hurt and no suspects have been arrested yet, security officials recorded the extent of the damage and launched a preliminary investigation.
The reason behind the attack is still unknown, and as of now, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has not released any official statement. She represents Kogi Central in the Senate and is known as a vocal figure in Nigerian politics.
According to Zagazola Makama, police are still trying to figure out what motivated the attackers and are working to find those responsible.
The communities came under simultaneous attacks just a day after the killing of 11 persons at Otobi Community also in Otukpo LGA.
Benue has in the past decade experienced incessant attacks.
Suspected herdsmen have again stepped up violent attacks as no fewer than three communities in the Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State were attacked on Wednesday.
The communities affected during the fresh attacks include Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju all in Otukpo where five persons were killed in February. The communities came under simultaneous attacks just a day after the killing of 11 persons at Otobi Community also in Otukpo LGA.
Local sources confirm that several people may have been feared dead again in the fresh attack.
Wednesday’s attack came hours after Governor Hyacinth Alia confirmed the arrest of three suspected herders in connection with the invasion of Otobi village on Tuesday night.
When contacted, Otukpo LGA Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the attack on the three communities, saying that the attackers stormed the communities at the time when the Commissioner of Police was still at the Ochidoma Palace over the previous day’s attack on Otobi.
He added that three people sustained injury in the attacks on the three communities, leading to women and children abandoning the communities for fear of being killed.
“Only young men were in the communities when the attackers arrived. The prompt response from combined security operatives made the attackers flee and none of them were arrested,” Ogiri stated.
The police spokesperson in the state, Sewuese Anene, was yet to confirm details of the attacks on the three communities.
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