Leaders of the Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including State Chairman Anthony Aziegbemi, Director General Mathew Iduoriyekemwen, and Deputy Director General (Media and Publicity) Rev. Olu Martins, led a protest on Wednesday to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Benin City. They were protesting the outcome of the recently concluded governorship election.
The protesters, carrying placards with various inscriptions, demanded that INEC return what they described as the “stolen mandate” of the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, and declare him the rightful winner of the election.
The protest disrupted traffic for hours at the Ramat Park axis of the busy Auchi-Benin Expressway, as hundreds of protesters sang solidarity songs. The police maintained a presence to protect the INEC office at Aduwawa.
Addressing the crowd, Dr Anthony Aziegbemi, the state chairman of the PDP, claimed that the protest was to expose the alleged manipulation of the election results by INEC. He urged INEC to correct its actions by declaring Dr Asue Ighodalo the winner, insisting that the PDP had won the election and that results from some local governments were manipulated.
In his statement, Dr. Aziegbemi said, “We thank you all for coming out today as part of our journey to reclaim the mandate stolen from us by INEC and the police, who subverted the will of the Edo people.” He added, “If we had lost this election in a free and fair contest, we would have congratulated the winners. But since our mandate was stolen, we cannot remain silent.”
He assured the protesters that the party would reclaim its mandate through the judiciary, stating that they would present overwhelming evidence. “This is Nigeria, and we cannot be robbed of our victory.
He stated, “We are sure that we will recover our mandate as preliminary analysis we have done shows that this election was clearly won by Asue Ighodalo, and we will present the case to the tribunal.” He expressed confidence in the integrity of the judiciary, saying, “We believe that the tribunal is made up of men and women of integrity, and they will look at the evidence before them and come to the conclusion that PDP won the election. We are going to the tribunal with an open mind.”
Dr Aziegbemi further emphasised the peaceful nature of the PDP’s protest, adding, “PDP is a very peaceful party as it always preaches peace, and all along, our protest has been violence-free, and it will continue to be so.”
Speaking on the matter, Director General of the Asue Ogie Campaign Organization, Mr. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, reinforced the party’s belief in their victory. He said, “The PDP won the Edo Governorship polls, and we will continue the protest until the mandate is given to Dr. Asue Ighodalo.”
He added that the outcome of the election would have significant implications for Nigeria’s democracy. “This election result will either make or mar Nigeria’s democracy. INEC should be disbanded. They are part of the APC, and they are supported by the police.”
Despite skepticism regarding the judiciary, Iduoriyekemwen maintained that the party would proceed with legal action, saying, “We would take our case forward, and though people don’t believe in the judiciary, we will give them a try and see what they will do.”
In his remarks, Deputy Director General of the Asue Ogie Campaign Organisation, Reverend Olu Martins, called for the dismissal of INEC electoral officers in Egor, Oredo, and Ikpoba Okha.
He declared, “We will continue to protest until Dr. Asue Ighodalo is declared the winner of the election.” He also reiterated that the PDP and its leadership in the state would not compromise in their efforts to recover their mandate.
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