Governors elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have decried the conduct of the recent Edo State governorship election, describing it as a “Rape of democracy.”

Speaking during an extraordinary session of the PDP Governors Forum (PDP-GF) in Jos, Plateau State, the governors alleged irregularities and manipulation of results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a communique issued after the meeting, the governors claimed that INEC manipulated results to favor the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate over PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, despite the majority of legitimate votes going to the latter.

In a relative vein, the governors also voiced concerns over the Ondo State elections, accusing the APC of vote-buying and result manipulation.

They revealed that documents suggesting post-election tampering by the APC were under review.

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The statement reads, “The Edo election is a blatant undermining of democratic principles.

“It’s evident to any observer that the process was manipulated to suppress the will of the people,” the forum stated.

“We suspect the APC engaged in result manipulation after openly purchasing votes.

“This calls for immediate judicial scrutiny to preserve Nigeria’s democracy.”

The forum urged the judiciary to uphold democratic principles and called on the National Assembly to amend electoral laws to curb electoral malpractice and ensure transparency.

The session was attended by Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), among others.

The forum also demanded the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to convene a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting by February 2025 to address the party’s challenges.