The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to the address by Governors under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) announcing the results of some LGAs in the Edo State governorship off-cycle election.
The PDP governors led by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State on Sunday, September 22, declared before the media what they called the “result of the Edo State Gubernatorial Election,” held on Saturday, September 21st, 2024.
In a strongly-worded statement issued by its Spokesman, Felix Morka, the APC described the action of Governor Fintiri as a “display of utter desperation and mindless impunity.”
The party condemned, in the strongest possible terms, this act of “executive brigandage and contempt for the rule of law and democratic norms.”
According to the party, Governor Fintiri has no authority to collate or announce the results of any election.
“This unprecedented illegality is calculated to cause unrest in Edo State, disrupt the peaceful conclusion of the election process, and undermine the lawful authority of INEC,” the ruling party said.
“We urge our law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant in order to maintain peace and security in the state.
“Fintiri’s bizarre action follows Governor Godwin Obaseki’s own disruptive overnight invasion of INEC’s premises in Benin City until he eventually withdrew in the early hours of Sunday, following protests by APC leaders.”
The party clarified that only the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is vested with the power and duty by law to conduct, collate and announce the result of the election.
“By seeking to usurp the statutory power of INEC, Governor Fintiri engaged in unmistakable and egregious violation of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” it added.
“It is a thing of disappointment that Governor Fintiri, a beneficiary of the electoral process, would so recklessly disregard the same process that brought him to office as Governor in a desperate move to mislead and achieve a partisan political advantage.
“To be clear, the purported election results announced by Fintiri are bogus, fake, and contrived by devious imagination.”
The party urged the members of the Edo electorate and the general public to disregard Fintiri’s “unlawful and unauthorized announcement of election results.”