The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo state has described the result of Saturday’s governorship election in Edo as a “rape on democracy” in the country.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo, the winner of Saturday’s election.

“We state emphatically for all to see and hear that Ondo is not Edo; our attitude, understanding, and patience differ. We will vote and protect our vote here. We are resolved to give everything to ensure that the electoral desires of our people will command attention and attain the desired goals,” Agboola Ajayi, the PDP governorship candidate in Ondo, said in a statement signed by Ayo Fadaka, the spokesman for the PDP campaign organisation in the state.

Mr Ajayi said Nigerians are not fooled by the outcome of the exercise declared by INEC.

“The Edo State Governorship Election results represent another rape on democracy in Nigeria, and for the umpteenth time, we declare that this is absolutely condemnable, as it betrays a total disregard for the electoral desires of the people as validly expressed through the ballot.

“Nigerians are not fooled by the officially declared result by INEC. They know that PDP won that election, and this is a shame on those who sit atop our affairs.

“It is disappointing that INEC could disregard the electoral law by shifting the collation of votes in the designated Local Government Collation Centres to its headquarters in Benin; this is expressly against the electoral law,” an excerpt from the statement read.

The party explained that it had already taken cognisance of the “dastardly acts” committed by the agencies saddled with the responsibility to provide a level playing field, noting that they failed to live up to expectations.

While describing the action of INEC as shameful, the PDP said the act also lowered the status and respect due to Nigeria in the committee of nations, stressing that it was prepared to ensure that rules would be followed in the upcoming Ondo election.

The opposition party noted that the people are already protesting against the APC government, stressing that the party has institutionalised hardship, penury, and poverty.

“As they say, politics is local, and in Ondo State, the people are already protesting against the hardship imposed on them by the APC government; they are protesting against hunger, lack, and want. Ondo State people are protesting against the high inflationary trend that has denied them not only the future but even the present.”

According to the party, “our protest day is the 16th of November. We thus sound a note of warning to those whose trade is the compromise of ballots that danger looms if they seek to tamper with our votes.

“Nigeria is either a democratic nation or not. For us, we won’t have a parody of election here; votes must count here. Let the APC and its rigging headquarters in Owerri begin to realise that now.

“We warn that INEC must be responsible and the Police civil in the prosecution of our election. A word, as they say, is enough for the wise,” the statement added.