By Kingsley Ohens
Thousands of Edo residents took to the streets of Benin City on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, to protest the outcome of the September 21 gubernatorial election, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare Dr Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the legitimate winner.
The protesters alleged widespread fraud, malpractices, and irregularities in the electoral process, specifically accusing the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of manipulating the results in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo.
The PDP claimed that the INEC altered the results to favour the APC, sparking tensions and prompting a formal protest to the electoral umpire’s head office at Aduwawa, Benin City.
Asue Ighodalo, the PDP candidate, has severally stated that the electoral process was heavily compromised, citing instances of result tampering and manipulation.
The protesters were seen brandishing placards with various inscriptions like: Edo PDP won the election but INEC and police colluded to change it; Dr. Asue Ighodalo, the governor – elect we know; INEC Stole PDP mandate ; INEC sack Edo State REC; Stolen Mandate: How APC did it in oredo LG, 13, 526 added to APC and 4, 335 taken from PDP; Donatus Etukido, Etsako East should be sacked, among others.
The protesters urged INEC to take immediate action to address these concerns and ensure the integrity of the electoral process was restored. The situation was tense with many speakers calling for transparency and accountability by INEC.
At the INEC office where heavily armed police officers were stationed to maintain law and order, the protesters expressed their anger at the brazen manipulation of the Edo September 21 governorship election results.
The protesters in their numbers unequivocally reaffirms and echoed that they all gave their mandate to Asue-Ogie of PDP and wonder why INEC subverted their mandate and gave it to the APC candidate.
They said the results uploaded to IREV of INEC showed that PDP won and the IREV was created to give credibility to election in Nigeria but wonder why INEC will bypass it and declare another result .
They said the electoral law as amended stipulates that INEC has seven days to review results before announcing it but also wondered why the electoral umpire was in a hurry to announce and present the Certificate of Return to the wrong person. They demanded that the Certificate of Return should be withdrawn and issued to the rightful person which is Dr Asue Ighodalo and that all the INEC officers involved in the electoral heist should be brought to book, among others.
They promised to continue the protest until justice was served.
The protesters were led by the PDP State Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, the PDP Campaign Director General, Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen and Rev Olu Martins, Deputy Director, Media, among others.
The protest started from the Ring Road, which is the city center through Akpakpava Road to the INEC State headquarters at Aduwawa, Ramart Park, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City.
