The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate for the September 21, 2024 Edo State governorship election, Monday Okpebolo, are ineligible to contest.

In a press release on Friday, the PDP national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, based his assertion on a revelation that APC’s candidate is not a registered voter after checks on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.

Mr Ologunagba advised the opposition party and its candidate, who allegedly presented a fake voter card to INEC, to withdraw from the race, describing their ongoing campaigns in the state as a journey to nowhere.

Mr Ologunagba wrote, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) asserts that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election, Senator Monday Okpebholo, are out of the race following a shocking revelation that the APC candidate is not a registered voter as reportedly revealed by checks in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Portal.

“The alarming discovery that the APC candidate allegedly presented a fake voter card in his Form EC9 submitted to INEC is a self-inflicted blow, which clearly and irredeemably signals the end of the road for the APC and its candidate in the 2024 Edo State governorship election.”

He described the APC’s decision to sponsor a candidate with alleged questionable documents as a governorship candidate in the state as scandalous.

“Moreover, it is now apparent as to why the APC submitted to INEC a blurred and unreadable voter card purporting same to be that of its candidate and had remained silent since the news broke out that the said voter card is allegedly forged,” he said, maintaining that the act of impunity by the APC is an assault on the sensibility of people in the state and the country’s democracy.

Citing section 182 (1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), section 114 (g) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and section 467 of the Criminal Code Act, the PDP insists that the implication of the discovery “is that the APC campaign in Edo State is a journey to nowhere as any vote cast for the APC in the September 21, 2024 Edo State Governorship election would be a void vote and effort in futility.”

The PDP spokesperson also stated that the party is disturbed “that some APC leaders are allegedly mounting pressure on certain INEC officials to compromise the commission’s data and input fabricated voter registration information for the embattled APC candidate.”

It cautioned the electoral umpire against succumbing “to the pressure by the APC as the public is already aware of hard evidence available in INEC Portal showing that the APC candidate is not registered as a voter,” adding that “The APC and its candidate should therefore immediately withdraw from the race as they cannot legally participate in this election.”

The PDP urged the state’s residents to remain alert while working together to ensure their will triumphs with the election of its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, at the polls.

When contacted, the chairman of the state APC, David Imuse, told Peoples Gazette that he was not in a position to comment on the matter.

“Well, I’m not the DG of his campaign; let him respond to it. I am not the party spokesman. They will be able to throw more light on that,” Mr Imuse said.

Also, an attempt to seek INEC’s comment on the allegations was abortive, as its spokesperson, Rotimi Oyekanmi, couldn’t be reached via phone calls and has yet to respond to a message sent to him at the time of filing this report.