With the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crying over “stolen mandates.” This time, it’s Asue Ighodalo, the PDP candidate for the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State, lamenting the “brazen theft” of what he believes was rightfully his. According to Ighodalo, the will of the people was shoved aside like yesterday’s news, and the election will forever remain a black mark on the state’s history.
In a statement released after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner, Ighodalo didn’t hold back. His tone? Predictable outrage. His complaint? Stolen votes, rigged results, and the usual suspects, allegedly corrupt officials and their powerful backers.
According to the official results, Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes, leaving Ighodalo trailing behind with 247,274. Meanwhile, Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) brought up the rear with just 22,763 votes. But if you ask Ighodalo, those numbers don’t reflect what actually went down. He insists that his supporters turned out in overwhelming numbers, their democratic aspirations dashed by forces determined to keep Edo in the grip of the ruling party.
Ighodalo’s statement was part thank-you note, part rallying cry for his disheartened supporters. “You are the true heroes of our democracy,” he said, clearly trying to console the frustrated voters who stood by him. He praised their “sacrifices for a better Edo State.”
For Ighodalo, the September 21 election was not just an exercise in democracy, it was a blatant manipulation of the system. “Our progress was unjustly halted,” he declared, pointing fingers at those who, in his view, “do not mean well for you or for our state.” In other words, the usual villainous players, the ruling party, compromised officials, and a system that seems to be allergic to free and fair elections.
It’s hard not to roll your eyes at the predictability of it all. Once again, the electoral aftermath is filled with accusations, denials, and promises of a legal battle that will likely drag on for months. And while Ighodalo plays the role of the wronged candidate.
Whether or not there was any truth to Ighodalo’s claims, the election is over, and Okpebholo is now governor-elect. The real question now is: what’s next for the PDP in Edo? The Court!
