The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Presiding Officer, Obozuwa Josephine, for alleged criminal manipulation of votes in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the ongoing Edo State Governorship election.
In a press statement released by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the PDP accused Obozuwa Josephine of allocating non-existent votes to the APC at the Osholo Primary School Polling Unit in Weppa, Etsako East Local Government Area.
The party claims that while only 213 voters were accredited at the polling unit, 352 votes were fraudulently allocated to the APC, with an additional 52 votes going to the PDP and one to the Labour Party (LP), bringing the total to 406 votes—far exceeding the number of accredited voters.
“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,” the statement read.
The PDP likened this incident to the actions of the former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Hudu Ari, who was involved in a similar controversy during the 2023 gubernatorial election in that state, which almost resulted in violent protests and endangered the lives of INEC officials.
“Obozuwa Josephine should take note that this criminal action by her could provoke similar consequences,” the PDP warned.
The party further alleged that this case is just one of many incidents of electoral fraud and vote manipulation in the election, accusing the APC of compromising the INEC system by placing its members in strategic positions to alter results.
“Our party holds that Obozuwa Josephine’s action is one of the many cases of electoral fraud, ballot manipulation, betrayal of public trust, and crimes against the State perpetrated in this election by the APC and unscrupulous INEC officials which must not go unpunished,” the PDP statement emphasized.
The PDP also reiterated its earlier warnings that the APC had infiltrated the INEC system to manipulate the electoral process and urged INEC to cancel the results from the Osholo Primary School Polling Unit while addressing other irregularities in the election.
The party concluded by praising the vigilance of the people of Edo State and encouraged them to “remain resilient till the end.”
INEC has yet to respond to the allegations as of the time of reporting.
