The Edo State Police Command has increased its presence at the venue of the Edo State governorship election petition tribunal in Benin City, the state capital, due to rising tensions during the first week of hearings at the High Court Complex on Sapele Road.
In an exclusive interview, the command emphasized its responsibility to maintain peace and prevent any disturbances at the tribunal, following reports of shootings and clashes between supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Senator Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress , was declared winner of the Edo State governorship poll last September.
According to the results from the 18 local government areas announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Okpebholo secured a total of 291,667 votes to overcome his closest rival Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, who garnered 247,655 votes.
Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party finished third with 22,763 votes.
However, the PDP complained of fraud and vowed to challenge the result in court.
“The way these elections are going, they are probably going to be the worst elections in the history of this country,” PDP candidate Ighodalo said after the poll.
Dissatisfied with the declaration of INEC, the PDP and six other political parties, who also participated in the poll, approached the tribunal to challenge the outcome.
The PDP, in particular, is asking the tribunal to nullify the result and instead, declare its candidate, Ighodalo, the winner of the election.
However, the Centre for Democracy and Development West Africa, which monitored the election, accused both the PDP and APC of vote-buying, adding that election officials had been intimidated in some areas.
