I won't congratulate Oshiomhole - Airhiavbere

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Published on Monday, 16 July 2012 18:58

Written by Ojiego Nnamdi Omeudo

Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded governorship election in Edo state, Major General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), Monday said he would not congratulate Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), citing the earlier statement by the governor faulting INEC in

the conduct of the election.

Gen Airhiavbere spoke at an interactive session with journalists at his Benin residence. 

He insisted that the acclaimed winner had faulted the electoral process before his declaration by the same body on Sunday. 

According to him, “I won’t fully comment on the election because the acclaimed winner had earlier in the day about 1pm condemned the electoral system, he condemned the chairman of INEC for the process that has not ended.

“That process at the end of the day declared him the winner. I will observe in the next few days before I make my comment. It could have been easy to congratulate him but he also had pre-empted the system that brought him.” 

“The election has come and gone. I want to seize this opportunity to thank all the people of Edo State for coming out en masse to make the exercise the most peaceful election ever experienced in Edo State. I also want to thank them for keeping faith with me. I want to seize this opportunity to thank PDP faithful for coming out to support me.” 

It will be recalled that Oshiomhole had said in an interview with journalists on Saturday that, “Prof Jega and INEC have been an embarrassment to the nation. I am in shock with all the arrangements they have made sensitizing the people, and I told them, INEC need to be sensitized. INEC is the weakest link in the Nigeria democratic chain. I have no faith in what INEC is doing in Benin City.”

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