As the controversy over the recently held local government elections in Edo state rages on, elder statesman and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tony Anenih, has called on the Edo State Chapter of the party to seek legal redress to reclaim its alleged stolen mandates.
The chairmanship and councillorship elections in Esan North-East Local Government of the state were conducted on October 22, 2013.
In a letter of commendation to the State Chairman of the party, Dan Orbih, the BOT chairman extolled Orbih’s steadfast and exemplary leadership by ensuring strict adherence to the rule of law in the face of provocation by the All Progressive Congress (APC) administration in the state.
The two-page letter dated October 28, 2013 and titled: Letter of Commendation” reads, “It is with a deep sense of satisfaction that I write to commend your steadfast and unparalleled leadership of our great party in Edo State.
“You have, without wavering, led our party with commitment and discipline in and out of elections; and surely your exemplary leadership is, indeed, noteworthy.
“I am particularly happy with the excellent performance of our party in the just-held Chairmanship and Councillorship elections in Esan North East Local Government.”
He added: “Under your leadership, our party men and women did not undermine the peace and security of lives and property in the Local Government Area by taking the law into their hands.
“It is on record that the first time, on April 20th 2013, when Local Government elections were held state wide, the electoral materials for the elections in Esan North East Local Government Area arrived late and even then were incomplete, causing the elections to be cancelled.
“At the rescheduled elections on April 24th 2013, during which the people voted massively for PDP, in a free and fair exercise, the election was scuttled by the disappearance of ward collation officers and the LGA returning officer.
“At yet the last and third local government elections in Esan North East LGA on 22nd October 2013, the victory of the PDP was once more stolen and even while voting and collation were still in progress, the APC Chairmanship candidate was declared winner in Benin City in the face of glaring victory by the PDP.
Anenih continued: “Furthermore, all eleven (11) PDP councillorship candidates who won the elections and with Certificates of return in their hands, have not been sworn in. We know that in the past, even those PDP councillorship candidates in other local government areas who were declared winners by the State Electoral Tribunal were not sworn in.
“Rather, those ACN candidates who lost both at the elections and at the tribunals have since been sworn in. Presently, APC councillorship candidates have been sworn in without results.
“I would also like to use this medium, therefore, to urge you to explore the legal option toward reclaiming the stolen mandates which the good people of Esan North East Local Government Area gave to our chairmanship and councillorship candidates in the October 22, 2013 elections.”
Anenih pledged continued support to the leadership of the party in the state, even as he commended all party members fro their loyalty.
