Edo 2024: Stolen mandate ‘ll be reclaimed — Group assures Edo people, PDP
By Kingsley Ohens
A Frontline support group for Asue-Ogie PDP, The Asue Kitchen Group, has assured the people of Edo State and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) faithful, supporters and lovers of the Edo State PDP governorship candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, to stay calm as the party and its candidate are making frantic efforts to reclaim the mandate freely given to the PDP and Ighodalo during the September 21 polls.
Members of the group also reaffirmed their total loyalty and commitment to the recovery of the stolen mandate from the APC in collaboration with INEC, noting that the genuine leaders and members of the PDP in Edo are solidly behind Dr. Asue Ighodalo in his quests to recover the party’s stolen mandate.
The group which spoke through its State Coordinator, Comrade Eugene Okoaguele, on Wednesday during the protest at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Office in Benin City, noted that against the expectation of the people of Edo State, the just concluded gubernatorial election in Edo State was marred by irregularities, nevertheless, INEC went ahead to declare the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Monday Okpebholo, as the winner.
According to him, “the Governorship candidate, and our party’s legal team are currently reviewing the overwhelming evidence of massive electoral infractions in some of the local government areas allegedly won by the APC, and result already uploaded to IREV but Inec to bypass and call different result is an abberration.
“It’s an open secret that even APC brought money to buy votes, majority of the electorates in Edo are tired of the APC’s years of bad governance, and they prefer PDP candidate to continue to take Edo State to a great height of prosperity and they validated this fact by casting their ballot in Asue-Ogie, PDP.
“However, those who were afraid that they would fail due to their irresponsible style of governance in the years past orchestrated all manner of illegality in a bid to sway the outcome of the election in their favour by hijacking the electoral process through the help of some compromised INEC staff and stole our mandate.”
The group, however, urged supporters to remain calm stating that the result would be challenged using all legal means, stressing that they are hopeful that the stolen mandate would be reclaimed.
“We want you all to be calm. We are going to reclaim the stolen mandate. The leadership of the party in Edo are united in support of our governorship candidate in the quest to recover our mandate.
“We want to implore everyone, especially our teeming supporters and PDP faithful, who are very much pained by what has happened to keep hope alive. This is a temporary setback, victory is certain. We are going to bring back the stolen mandate,” the group said.
