…. As he takes case to tribunal
By Owen Eresoyen, Benin
Candidate of the Accord Party for the 2024 Edo State Governorship election, Dr Bright Enabulele has taken the alleged electoral fraud committed against him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to favour the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo to the 2024 Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal.
Recall that the Accord Party’s governorship candidate, Dr. Bright Enabulele, has earlier alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), compromised the recent Edo State governorship elections, describing it as the most corrupt in Nigeria’s history
He claimed that the results were manipulated pointing to his own experience at Ward 5 St Saviour Ivbiyeneva Primary School unit 1 in the Ikpoba/Okha local government area, where he voted on live TV ,but officially received zero votes.
Speaking to Aljazirah Nigeria in Benin City after his counsel submitted his petition to the election tribunal, Enabulele said, his prayers to the tribunal was to declare him winner of the election or cancel the entire exercise, adding, “there was fraud, intimidation , deliberate announcement of wrong results by INEC”.
Enabulele said he was not against the winner of the election, but the process leading to the acclaimed victory and maintained that the BVAS was there to reduce human interference, but that the BVAS was manipulated.
According to him, the court order obtained by the PDP was wrong as the BVAS was supposed to serve as evidence in court, when the tribunal begins to seat.
“The case is against two parties, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who conducted the election and the APC candidate (Monday Okpebholo) that they declared winner. The reason for the challenge is due to non- compliance of the electoral process. My mandate was stolen; there was fraud, intimidation and deliberate announcement of wrong results.
He further stated that, Nigeria is a country governed by rule of law. I have been crying many days now due to the outcome of the election. We cannot continue to rely on human interference. The BVAS was made to reduce human interference, but the BVAS was manipulated, there was manipulation at the collation process. Many agents were intimidated to sign wrong results.
Enabulele added that, we are telling Nigerians that the most important thing is how our leaders emerge, if the process is wrong, and then we can never get it right. I am not against the winner of the election, but against how the winner emerged, if somebody wins let him win correctly, if he loses, let him lose correctly. We cannot allow people’s votes to be stolen; it doesn’t matter whether it was 100 or 200. For me my mandate was stolen. They should declare me winner or cancel the election.