Leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) staged a protest at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Benin on Wednesday, expressing their dissatisfaction with the outcome of the recently concluded Edo governorship election.
The protest, led by PDP State Chairman Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, along with Campaign Council Director General Matthew Iduoriyekemwen and Deputy Director General (Media and Publicity) Rev. Olu Martins, saw party members carrying placards demanding that INEC return what they called a “stolen mandate” and declare Dr. Asue Ighodalo as the rightful winner.
The demonstration, which took place near the Ramat Park area along the busy Auchi-Benin expressway, caused significant traffic disruptions for several hours.
Addressing the crowd, Aziegbemi claimed that the PDP had won the election but alleged that the results were tampered with to favor another candidate. He called on INEC to reverse its decision and officially declare Ighodalo the winner.
“We will not stand by while our mandate is stolen. If we had lost fairly, we would have accepted the result, but this was not a fair contest,” Aziegbemi said. He urged PDP supporters to remain patient and assured them that the party would present compelling evidence to the judiciary in an effort to reclaim the governorship.
He further expressed confidence in the tribunal’s integrity, stating that the evidence presented would prove the PDP’s victory.
Campaign Director General Iduoriyekemwen vowed that the protests would continue until Ighodalo’s mandate was restored, while Rev. Martins called for the dismissal of INEC electoral officers from Egor, Oredo, and Ikpoba Okha over alleged misconduct during the election.
