Edo Tribunal: APC Set To Lose 42,063 Votes – Political Analyst
Proceedings at the Edo state Governorship Election Tribunal have generated lots of concerns and interest.
Some issues and strategies employed by the petitioners have been described as novel by several political analysts and watchers. PDP’s candidate – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu`s prayer is for the court to declare him winner of Edo State governorship,28 September, 2016 election.
The request was again emphasized when he appeared as a witness before the Honorable Court led by Justice Badamosi.
It is on record that INEC declared Mr Godwin Obaseki as the governor-elect. At the moment, ballots papers used in four local government areas are being recounted.
The local government areas are: Etsako West & East, Akoko-Edo and Egor. Out of 319,483 votes recorded for APC, 30.67% of the votes came from these four local government areas.
Akoko-Edo – 24,545 *Etsako East – 18,078 *Etsako West – 29,199 *Egor – 26,177 and total votes for APC in these four local government areas was 97,999, while the PDP on the other hand had 55,936 votes.
Etsako East, Etsako West, Akoko-Edo and Egor had 12,552; 10,843; 13,027 and 19,514 respectively.
In the LGAs under contention, APC had 42,063 votes more than that of PDP, this is 63.43% of total margin of 66,310.
It will be recalled that APC had 319,483 votes against PDP with 253,173 votes giving a difference of 66,310.
The essence of recounting of ballot papers in aforementioned LGAs is to certain whether or not the elections in four LGAs should be cancelled.
Should the number of ballot papers be different from votes declared by INEC, then the panel will have no other choice other than cancellation in line with the electoral laws.
This will imply that 97,999 votes and 55,936 votes will be deducted from APC and PDP respectively. By implication APC will loose 42,063 votes from their margin over PDP.
The question is, will there be a difference between number of ballot papers and votes declared by INEC? Time will tell.
However, INEC vehement objection to ballot papers recount gives a reason to further question the roles played by INEC in the election.
With the expected cancellation of votes in the aforementioned LGAs, APC will be leading with 24,247 votes.
This again has been eroded with evidence tendered by the petitioner wherein certified true copies of election results across the state evidenced instances of over voting, non accreditation and improper accreditation.
Witnesses that have testified thus far gave credence to these realities. It is important to state that over voting, non accreditation of voters and improper accreditation have no place in our electoral laws.
Whether or not PDP further evidence will be sufficient to override the difference of 24,247 will only be a matter of time.
Osahon Ize-Iyamu
Political analyst Benin City, Edo State.
