‘APC won our local government but we didn’t vote,’ Communities say

monjola sotubo

October 3, 2016 2:37 PM

Some Edo communities have alleged that they didn’t vote in the elections but results were attributed to them.

Godwin Obaseki

Some communities in the Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo state have alleged that they didn’t vote in the September 28 elections but results were attributed to them.

According to results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Godwin Obaseki won 33,469 votes in the area defeating Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu who won 26,096 votes.

However, community leaders in Ajamimogha, Ajoki, Kolokolo, Ajatiton, Ikara, Abiala One and Abiala Two said that they waited for voting materials to arrive in their villages but they never came.

“Itsekiris and Ijaws in these communities are here today to say that voting materials did not get here in the riverine communities of Ward 10, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area. Most surprising, INEC still went ahead to announce the results of an election that was never conducted,” Community leader, Dennis Otikperi said according to The Tribune.

“I have written a petition and it has been acknowledged by the Electoral Officer. We want the whole world to know this. We heard that voting materials were stopped at a side of the river by the backyard of one persons (names withheld) and thumb printed.

“We sent our people there to find out and stop them. Our people were, however, chased away from the place by police and army, who accompanied the people. They could not record them because their phones were seized and thrown into the water. We have seven communities in these places. These communities have 15 units and we have over 10,000 votes here. I just want the whole nation to know this,” he added.

ALSO READ: APC planning to manipulate results at midnight - PDP

Obaseki won the election by a total of 319,483 votes as against the 253, 173 votes garnered by Ize-Iyamu.

monjola sotubo