PDP rejects Ondo guber result, heads to tribunal

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the outcome of the Ondo state governorship election held on Saturday, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of aiding the All Progressive Congress (APC) in rigging the election.

The party described the outcome of the election as declared by INEC’s Chief Returning Officer Prof Abdul-Ganiyu Ambali, as a “charade and not the true reflection of the will of the people of Ondo State.”

Ambali had on Sunday declared the APC candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, winner of the election.

The PDP spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Monday, accused INEC of “graduating from inconclusive elections as seen in Kogi, Bayelsa, Osun, FCT, Imo, Nassarawa and some other previous by-elections in the country to ‘Advanced Election Rigging’, as in the case of Edo and Ondo states’ gubernatorial elections.”

Adeyeye, in a statement, said “it is common knowledge that the APC agents openly bought votes of the electorates in the full glare of security operatives who did nothing to prevent such dastardly violation of the Electoral Law.

“It is not surprising that the electorates in Ondo state became so vulnerable to the corruptive influence of the APC because of the hash economic situation in the country inflicted on Nigerians by the APC administration which has indeed made all Nigerians virtually beggars in their own country.”

Mr. Adeyeye said PDP had persistently called for the postponement of the election before Saturday, for at least two weeks to enable the party campaign and prepare properly for the election.

He said the party’s request followed the setback orchestrated by “Justice Okon Abang and the charlatans in PDP who allowed themselves to be used by the APC to destroy our chances in the Ondo state election.

“The actions of INEC in collaboration with the APC-led administration left us no time to campaign and sell our candidate and party manifesto to the electorates in Ondo state.

“Our persistent call for the postponement of the election which was backed and supported by more than 20 other political parties were all rejected by INEC which were acting the script of the APC.

“It was a carefully planned and well-orchestrated strategy to rig the election well in advance by preventing the PDP from planning and campaigning for the election. The APC has hereby introduced a new formula of rigging election in Nigeria.

“In view of the fact that the election was blatantly manipulated from the beginning to the end to favour the APC, we vehemently reject the results of the November 26, 2016 Gubernatorial Election in Ondo state,” he said.

He also said the election and all actions leading to it fell short of laid down principles guiding conduct of elections in Nigeria.

“We have instructed our candidate and the Ondo State chapter of our party to proceed to the Tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election.

“We call on the Judiciary to redeem Nigeria’s image on this matter as we request for the total cancellation of the election in Ondo state,” the party said.