Edo Decides: PDP demands prosecution of INEC’s presiding officer, Obozuwa Josephine, over alleged vote allocation
- The contentious result
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Saturday, demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Presiding Officer in the Edo State Governorship election, Obozuwa Josephine, for allegedly allocating non-existent votes to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It also demanded the arrest and prosecution of members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) involved in the alleged electoral heist.
This was contained in a statement posted on the official X handle of the PDP, on Election Day.
The party said, “The election result sheet for Osholo Primary School Polling Unit, Weppa in Etsako East Local Government Area shows that whereas 213 voters were accredited, Obozuwa Josephine criminally and fraudulently allocated 352 votes to the APC, 52 to the PDP and one to the LP, giving a total of 406 as votes cast.
“It is highly provocative that the INEC PO Obozuwa Josephine could be so compromised by the APC to audaciously and feloniously allocate unearned 352 votes to the APC above the 213 voters officially accredited in that Polling Unit.
“This reckless act by Obozuwa Josephine is reminiscent of the criminal conduct of the former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Hudu Ari, during the 2023 Governorship election in that State, which provoked violent protest by the people and nearly led to the loss of lives of INEC officials.
“Obozuwa Josephine should take note that this criminal action by her could provoke similar consequences.
“Our Party holds that Obozuwa Josephine’s action is one of the many cases of electoral fraud, ballot manipulation, betrayal of public trust and crime against the State perpetrated in this election by the APC and unscrupulous INEC officials which must not go unpunished.
“Nigerians can recall that the PDP had on several occasions alerted that the APC had compromised the INEC system by planting APC members as Polling Officers to manipulate the electoral process and alter results in favour of the APC.
“The PDP demands that INEC effects the immediate arrest and prosecution of the indicted Presiding Officer Obozuwa Josephine, cancel the election in Osholo Primary School Polling Unit and take steps to address other such infractions in this election.
“Our Party again commends the people of Edo State for their vigilance and urges them to remain resilient till the end.”
Weighing in on the matter, the Osita Chidoka-led Athena Center, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit think-tank operating at the junction of theory and practice in governance and policy, called the development strange.
Chidoka, former Aviation Minister, tweeted: “Presiding officer Obozuwa Josephine accredited 213 voters out of 493 registered voters but recorded 406 votes in Osholo primary school in the Weppa ward of Etsako East. If the Collation officer accepts this result and @inecnigeria accepts it, that will be strange.
“At 406 voters out of 493 registered, there is an 82% voter turnout.”