A former governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomole, has denied the allegation that the All Progressives Congress has already stock-pilled money to buy votes of the people during the election.

Oshiomole who is also the senator representing the Edo North Senatorial District of the state, also said he had not received any report of violence from anywhere across the state, as the election was ongoing.

Speaking with journalists shortly after casting his votes on Saturday at Iyamho, Ward 10 Unit 01 in Estako West Local Government Area of Edo State, the former governor said the voting had been going on peacefully.

The former governor said, “It is laughable when I hear this kind of allegation. You have been did you see anywhere where they are sharing money? People turned out in large numbers to vote for us because they wanted good government. During our campaign, people came out to see me not because I wanted to give them something but because of what I have done for them while I was in the office as the governor.

“All structures that I have put in place 12, 13 years ago are still there but the ones put up by the present administration, in one year, they are washed off. So our people have seen the difference. Some people do tell me that since I left the government, they haven’t seen the real presence of government in their communities.”

The Director General of the Asue/Ogie Campaign Council, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, on Sunday morning alongside members of the Peoples Democratic Party, protested the just concluded governorship election at the Independent National Electoral Commission.

He also said that the Peoples Democratic Party would protest the outcome of the polls, which he said, was being skewed in favour of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.

While journalists and some party agents were waiting at the Conference Hall in the INEC office for the announcement of the results, protesters numbering about 20 stormed the entrance gate of INEC.

Iduoriyekemwen said the PDP was cruising to victory but information available to them showed that there were plans to juggle the final results that would not reflect the wishes of the voters.

He also alleged that the leader of the APC in the state, Adams Oshiomhole and reinstated deputy governor of the state Philip Shaibu were thumb printing ballot papers to close the gap with which the APC was leading.

We have information that the result is being skewed to favour Okpehbolo when it is clear that our candidate is coasting to victory.

“We will not accept this, we will contest it” he said at about 2:27 am when he led the protesters to the venue.

They were dispersed by the police shortly after speaking to journalists through the barricade.

PUNCH Online late Saturday night reporter that tensions were rising in the ongoing Edo State Governorship election as the INEC acknowledged a second complaint regarding discrepancies in polling unit results.

In a statement posted on its official X account late Saturday night, INEC assured the public of swift action, vowing to investigate allegations of incorrect figures being entered into result sheets.

PUNCH Online earlier reported that INEC has uploaded 90.33 percent of the results from the Edo governorship election to its Result Viewing Portal.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is mounting pressure on Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to suspend the collation of results in Edo state.

The state governorship election took place on Saturday and result collation is ongoing in some LGAs.

In a statement, Debo Ologunagba, the national publicity secretary of the PDP, said “intelligence” available to the party indicates that the APC wants the result collation of the governorship election suspended “to make way for the manipulation of the INEC portal and replace the real results from the units with fabricated figures in favour of the APC”.

The PDP said Asue Ighodalo, the party’s candidate, is taking an early lead in the election, adding that the APC is planning to invade collation centres with thugs to disrupt the process.

“Our Party has also been made aware that the APC is mounting pressure on the Military to withdraw from their positions so as to enable the APC convey its armed thugs to disrupt and manipulate the collation process,” Ologunagba said.

“The PDP in very strong terms cautions INEC and the APC to note that the people of Edo State already have authentic results from the Polling Units across the State and that any attempt by anybody or group whatsoever to alter the results will inflame the already charged situation with very severe consequences on perpetrators.

“INEC must not lose sight of the violent protest that trailed the criminal attempt by the former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Hudu Ari to alter the outcome of the 2023 Governorship election in that State which nearly led to the death of some INEC officials.

“INEC and the APC must note that any attempt to change the results of the Edo State governorship election will provoke worse consequences as the people have indicated their readiness to use every means allowed in a democracy including legitimate physical confrontation, if necessary to protect their votes.

“The PDP charges the Electoral Commission to resist the pressure by the APC and ensure that nobody tampers with the results as obtained from the Polling Units.

“Our Party commends the military for its professionalism in defending our democracy in the Edo State governorship election and urges the Military High Command not to succumb to the pressure from the APC to withdraw from their posts and allow for the manipulation of the process.

“The PDP again charges the people of Edo State to remain at the Coalition Center in their numbers and monitor the collation process so as to ensure that their Will as expressed in the election is affirmed.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will investigate allegations of falsified polling unit results in the Edo governorship election.

In a post on its official X page on Saturday, the commission said the complaint is the second received out of the 4,519 polling units in the state.

“The Commission’s attention has been drawn to an allegation of wrong figures entered into polling unit result sheets in the ongoing Edo State Governorship election,” the post reads.

“This is the second complaint we have received out of the 4,519 polling units used for the election.

“The Commission will immediately investigate the matter and deal with any proven infraction.”

Earlier today, Obozuwa Josephine, a presiding officer of the commission, allegedly recorded more votes than accredited voters in Osholo primary school, Weppa ward, Etsako east LGA in Edo.

The total number of accredited voters according to the Form EC 8A filled by Josephine was 213 — but 406 votes were recorded as the total number of valid ballots cast.

Shortly afterwards, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of the presiding officer.

Debo Ologunagba, PDP’s spokesperson, in a statement, alleged that Josephine allocated non-existent votes to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP also demanded the arrest and prosecution of members of the APC involved in the alleged falsification.

“The election result sheet for Osholo Primary School Polling Unit, Weppa in Etsako East Local Government Area shows that whereas 213 voters were accredited, Obozuwa Josephine criminally and fraudulently allocated 352 votes to the APC, 52 to the PDP and one to the LP, giving a total of 406 as votes cast,” he said.

“It is highly provocative that the INEC PO Obozuwa Josephine could be so compromised by the APC to audaciously and feloniously allocate unearned 352 votes to the APC above the 213 voters officially accredited in that Polling Unit.”