The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has hit out at Governor Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State, for what the party described as unforgivable blunders and false narratives churned out by the latter, following the victory of its candidate, Senator Monday Okpebolo, at the September 21, off-season election in Edo.

Fintiri, who in his capacity as chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Edo State Governorship election, after announcement of results, was quoted as alleging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rigged the contest contest in favour of APC.

Fintiri on arrival back at Yola, the state capital, alleged underhand tactics by the electoral umpire, in three local government areas of Edo, in returning Senator Monday Okpebholo, of the opposition APC, as winner of the exercise.

APC said the governor failed to acknowledge the factionalization in the PDP and failure by Governor Obaseki to provide the dividends of democracy to the people.

Following a backlash over statements credited to him after the announcement of results, Fintiri maintained: “I am not afraid, I did not do anything contrary to the laws of this country.”

On the following morning of the election, INEC declared Monday Okpebolo, candidate of the APC and member representing Edo Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, as winner of the governorship poll.

Okpebholo scored 291,667 votes, to defeat Asuen Ighodalo, candidate of the state’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 247, 274 votes.

Olumide Akpata, a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association and candidate of the Labour Party (LP), polled 22, 763 votes, to come in a far distant third position.

The Edo APC in a statement issued in Benin, the Edo State capital, described Fintiri of being unstable in the ways he chooses to view INEC in the delivery of its mandate.

The APC therefore called on Nigerians and the Edo electorate not to take Governor Fintiri too serious, noting that, just after he made what it described as meaningless allegations to disparaged the outcome of the election, he quickly made to endear himself to the FCT Minister, Chief Nyessom Wike, contrary earlier positions he held in the former Rivers Governor.

According to the statement “His Excellency, the Governor of Adamawa State, Umaru Fintiri, this time around has openly revealed himself for who really he is by exhibiting his flip-flop character, even in matters that ought to be taken with all seriousness.

“This was the same man who praised the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to high heavens, following his confirmation as winner during the last round of the highly disputable election in his home state, Adamawa.

“Fintiri it was who went to town extolling the President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for his uprightness and for engendering free and fair election, and the APC-led federal government, but now has the temerity of mind to double speak, following the just walloping of Godwin Obaseki at the September 21 Edo State Governorship election, simply because he was made chairman, he found it easier to deny the obvious.

“It also served no lesson or purpose to Governor Fintiri that back in his state, the battle was between him and the APC candidate, who nevertheless became the loser at the end of it all. That time, his refrain being, ‘another Daniel has come to judgement,’ in his assessment of INEC and its performance.

“Yet, having the full benefit of the woeful perform of Governor Godwin Obaseki, and the unacceptability of his surrogate, Asuen Ighodalo, by the people of Edo State, the Adamawa governor would rather chose to play to the gallery, including the rubbishing of national institutions, and aim to unjustly rubbish a process that went without no acrimony, with no record of a single loss of time and adjudged by both local and foreign observers, including governments of the United States and the United Kingdom, as credible, free and fair.

“Governor Fintiri obviously must have shut his eyes to the torrid state of infrastructure in Edo State, including the capital, Benin, where on election day, the rains further exposed the PDP administration for its wastes recorded in right years of being in the saddle.

“It’s therefore unfortunate that Governor Fintri in his desperation to back his failed PDP candidate in Edo, turned himself to INEC by dubiously announcing an imaginary result in the three LGAs of Oredo, Ikpoba Okhai and Egor.

“This was the same thing that happened in Adamawa where he condemned the action of the State Resident Electoral Officer who declared the result of the election while collation were still ongoing.

“We call on Governor Fintiri to learn sticking to verifiable facts, refrain from acting the dual personality or playing to the gallery. We are here talking about the welfare, future, human and capital development of Edo State, he should hence be mindful of the seriousness of what is at stake and why the people made their rightful choice in rejecting Obaseki and his mutation at the poll.”