The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that it stands by the results of the Edo State Governorship election as garnered by its polling agents across the State and echoed by the Chairman of the Edo PDP National Campaign Council, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State.

The party said the results so generated and collated by its agents indicated that the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo clearly won the election.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, said this in Abuja, on Sunday.

This represents the party’s first public statement moments before the declaration of the election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, winner.

Ologunagba said, “The PDP asserts that the rush, venom and hauling of insults with which the All Progressives Congress (APC) attacked Governor Fintiri only confirms APC’s violent desperation to cover its manipulations and steal the mandate freely given to Dr. Asue Ighodalo by the people of Edo State as reflected in the genuine votes cast at the Polling Units.

READ ALSO: Edo Poll: Drama at INEC office: Obaseki’s midnight visit to INEC leads to his forceful exit

“As Governor Fintiri presented, the results collated from the Polling Units have Asue Ighodalo in clear lead before the State collation exercise was hijacked by the APC which, in connivance of some unscrupulous INEC and security officials, engaged in blatant alteration and substitution of the genuine results with fabricated figures in favour of the defeated APC candidate.

“The PDP had on several occasions alerted Nigerians of this sinister plot by the APC which will be firmly resisted as the APC and its candidate Monday Okpebholo were thoroughly defeated in the election.

“The PDP in the strongest terms cautions the APC and INEC not to announce or declare any result that does not reflect the Will of the people as expressed at the Polling Units. Such will be a recipe for a huge crisis in the State as the people of Edo State will never allow their mandate in illegitimate hands.

“Our Party again cautions INEC not to 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.

“Any attempt to change the results of the Edo State governorship election and allocate victory to a defeated candidate will provoke worse consequences.

“INEC must therefore do that which is right in the interest of peace, stability and sustenance of Democracy in Nigeria.“