Asue Ighodalo’s campaign team has raised strong allegations of election malpractice, accusing former Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, of manipulating figures during the Edo governorship election.
Mathew Idoiyekemwem, the Director-General of Asue Ighodalo’s campaign team, addressed media correspondents, claiming that Oshiomhole and his several others, including Philip Shaibu were involved in deliberate manipulation to alter the election outcome. Idoiyekemwem stated that despite his candidate winning overwhelmingly in 15 local government areas, Oshiomhole allegedly withheld the results from three local governments, known as the Etakos, in an attempt to bridge the gap through fraudulent means.
In his statement, which was shared in a video by Channels Television, Idoiyekemwem asserted that “they started thumb-printing, trying to cover up the gap.” He alleged that this fraudulent activity bypassed the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) — the technology used by INEC to authenticate voters — especially in areas such as Auchi and the riverine communities of his own local government, Ward 10.
“We’ve done the election and won clearly… even after they paid as much as N30,000 per voter, Asue Ighodalo won overwhelmingly by over 70% of the total votes cast,” Idoiyekemwem claimed, expressing frustration over the alleged manipulation that occurred after the polls.
According to Idoiyekemwem, the irregularities, including thumb-printing and bypassing the BVAS, were carried out with the complicity of some election officials. He questioned the role of INEC in this, asking, “Why will INEC give us BVAS as a means to accredit us and at the end of the day people are bypassing it and INEC is accepting it because of one Oshiomhole and his people?”
The campaign team of Asue Ighodalo is now calling on INEC to investigate these claims of manipulation and ensure that the integrity of the election process is upheld.
Asue DG accuses Oshiomhole, others of figure manipulation
“We’ve done election and we won clearly in about 15 Local Governments, When they found out – even after paying – they were paying as much as N30,000 per voter, that Asue Ighodalo won overwhelmingly by well over 70% of the total votes cast, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole withheld the three Etsakos and then they started thumb printing, trying to cover up the gap. If you go to Auchi now, they’ve been thumb printing, bypassing the bvas, they didn’t use the bvas. In my own Local Government. In my own Local Government, ward 10. They went to the riverine communities, bypassing the bvas. Why Will INEC give us bvas as a means to accredit us and at the end of the day people are bypassing it and INEC is accepting it because of one Oshiomhole and his people” He said
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