By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has assured President Goodluck Jonathan of the majority of votes from the state during the forthcoming presidential election.

Chairman of the state chapter of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih gave the assurance on the basis of the claim that the PDP has never lost an election in the state, arguing that the enthronement of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN government in the state was an aberration arising from judicial reversal of the mandate to the party from the electorate.

Orbih spoke after the national convention of the PDP which he described as well organized. Commending the President for working hard for his victory, he equally commended his rival Atiku Abubakar for pulling a strong competition.

He, nevertheless, urged the erstwhile Vice-President to join hands with President Jonathan in canvassing for the party ahead the presidential polls.

Asked if the Edo PDP could pull a victory for the President in the presidential polls, Orbih said:

“Off course, yes. PDP as a party since 1999 has never lost election in Edo State. We have never lost an election, INEC has at every election declared the party victorious. What we lost in the past was a court case but at the election we won and the result declared by INEC was in favour of PDP. But the situation in our hand today is that we lost a court case and not an election.”

He continued: “In the case of Edo State, they went into the extent of doing political mathematics, adding votes here, subtracting votes there before they arrived at a figure where they resolved that somebody who won in a few places should be the winner. That is exactly what they did.

“I am happy that they (National Assembly) have gone a little bit further when the constitutional provision was reviewed by the National Assembly to put such cases at the level of the Supreme Court so that we can really have a well informed opinion before you can upturn the result of any election.”

On how unity could be forged in the party following the cantankerous intra-party campaign, he said: “I was very impressed with the speech delivered by the President at the end of the voting. He gave a very good speech, he commended his co-aspirants and he has already stretched out his hands to them, saying that they should join hands with him to win back the presidency.”

On the prospects of the party as a whole in the coming elections, he said: “The prospects are quite bright and if you see the overwhelming nature of the type of support given to the President during the convention, you can also agree with me that he has got widespread support across the nation and that will reflect certainly in the result of the coming presidential election.”