…accuses INEC, security officials of compromising the process
Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt Hon. Comrade Phillip Shaibu, has called for calm, even as he noted that the use of weapons and Armoured Personnel Carriers, APC for elections, negates the purpose of security in the electoral process in the country.
Shaibu spoke at a press briefing shortly after a peaceful protest in Jattu, Etsako West Local Government Area, Edo State, staged by the people, challenging the collation of results emanating from Etsako West Constituency 2, outside the official location designated by INEC.
The peaceful protest was necessitated by the collation of election results of Etsako West Constituency 2 in Auchi.
According to the Deputy Governor, “election results for Constituency 2 over the years, were collated and announced in Azama Primary School, Jattu-Uzairue in Esako West Local Government Area.
“I think the use of weapons and armoured personnel carriers for election into House of Assembly such like in Etsako West, defeats the purpose of security in elections in our country”.
“I think Nigerians are getting tired of this kind of process. They should not provoke us to the level that will make people take to the street. I want to urge you all protesters, not to do anything that will affect the democratic process, but you’re free to register your grievances peacefully through protest”
“You have the right to air your views. You have the right to protest, but please remember, our properties are our own. We should not destroy anything. We must not do something that will cause the breakdown of law and order. I don’t want any of you to die; we are waiting here. We are praying that they will come and collate and announce the results here”.
“What they are trying to do is like having an election in Kaduna State and going to Kano to collate and announce results. That’s sheer impunity”, Shaibu added.
The House of Assembly candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Felix Iyalomhe, condemned the movement of results, collation and announcement to a different location in Auchi.
He noted that the collation of results outside Etsako West Constituency 2 was not constitutional and the PDP would not accept it.
“This is totally unacceptable. We will stand to defend our results as declared yesterday by the party agents”.
“The election that took place yesterday and the results released by the various party agents in the five wards of Etsako West Constituency 2 revealed that I, Dr. Felix Iyalomhe, won the election overwhelming”.
“However, what we’re seeing now is that a former governor of the State, right now, is manipulating the results in favour of the APC candidate and this my people will not accept”.
I, Felix, the candidate, will not accept this. They are doing the collation of results outside the constituency. Traditionally, Constituency 2 results are collated at Azama Primary School in Jattu-Uzairue, which is the collation centre for Constituency 2, Etsako West Local Government Area”.
PDP leader in Estako West, Engr Kenneth Asekhome, said the party would do everything possible to defend their votes and claim their mandate.
“This is totally unacceptable. We will stand to defend our mandate. Our mandate must be announced in Azama Primary School,” Asekhome added.