By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, Okharedia Ihimekpen, has admonished the party’s candidate in the just-concluded governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to gather his evidence and head to the tribunal rather than creating what he described as ‘unnecessary tension in the state’ by encouraging PDP members to be protesting.

Ihimekpen described the allegation by Ize-Iyamu that he was rigged out of the election as untrue, adding, “I am condemning the demonstration as a result of the election in severe terms. I am advising the PDP and Ize-Iyamu that instead of overheating the polity by these demonstrations, they should go to court and prove their case if they have facts. Election is never won through demonstration.

“In 2012, when the Local Government election was conducted here, Ize-Iyamu was in All Progressives Congress, APC, and while we were still voting in Uromi, results of that particular election was being announced in Benin.

“When we shouted that his current running mate, John Yakubu, was rigged out, Ize-Iyamu said we should go to court that the election was free and fair.

“What goes around comes around. In my place in Esan West, where I voted, it was not rigged and PDP won in all these areas.

I am calling on Ize-Iyamu to assemble all the exhibits, witnesses and evidence in his possession and head to the court.

“This was what we did during Airhiavbere’s case; I followed him to the Supreme Court. He should stop this noise making in Benin.”