The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will today, Wednesday, allow the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to inspect electoral materials used in the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election. This development follows complaints by the PDP over delayed access to these materials.
Dr. Augbum Onuoha, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Edo State, revealed this in an interview on Tuesday, addressing the PDP’s concerns. According to him, INEC has invited the PDP to come for the materials today. “We have asked them to come tomorrow (Wednesday),” Dr. Onuoha said.
The PDP had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with the delays, claiming that INEC was deliberately holding back the materials to manipulate or cover up election irregularities. In a statement on Monday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, alleged that INEC officials were intentionally delaying the release of the materials to alter them in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In response to these accusations, the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, accused INEC of colluding with the APC to prevent the PDP from filing their legal challenge on time. He said, “We are aware that the clandestine and surreptitious game plan is to frustrate the PDP’s appeal and ensure the petition is not filed before the Saturday deadline.”
The PDP is contesting the election results, which declared the APC candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, as the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who secured 247,274 votes. The PDP, insisting that the election was rigged, has vowed to challenge the result in court. A court order was obtained by the party to inspect election materials, but they have claimed that INEC has refused to grant them access.
On Monday, the PDP legal team, led by Olusegun Jolaawo (SAN), visited INEC’s office in Benin City but was denied access to the election materials despite showing the court order. This fueled further frustration within the party, leading to protests by the Edo PDP women’s wing on Tuesday. The women, dressed in black attire and carrying placards, demanded the return of what they referred to as Ighodalo’s “stolen mandate.”
Speaking to journalists during the protest, Stella Okoro, a former local government council chairperson, stated, “We are here today at the NUJ, to express our feelings, and our pains. We are troubled because of our stolen mandate. Our stolen mandate is what we are asking for.
“We are not lions and tigers, we voted. Edo people came out to vote for Asue Ighodalo and that is why we mothers are here today, we are in pains, we are mourning, we are on blacks, telling them to give us back our stolen mandate.
“They used INEC, police and soldiers to rob us. Before the election, they were embarrassing our sons and daughters.
“They arrested our people and they were taken to Abuja, some were in the State CID. We are not happy. We have never seen this kind of election before.
“Upon all the intimidation, upon all the money they spent, Edo people said no. It is Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie they want and they did and they won.
“Give us our mandate or else we will not rest until they give it to us. The Almighty God is hearing the women’s voice.”
In defense of its actions, the APC has denied any wrongdoing or involvement in delaying the PDP’s access to the materials. A statement from the party’s Edo State Governorship Campaign Council rejected the accusations, dismissing them as baseless and a misrepresentation of the situation.
“The All Progressives Congress read the diatribe and attack on our party by the defeated Peoples Democratic Party in our dear state, with utter dismay at the falsehood, they have designed to mischievously misrepresent the true situation at the Benin Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the presence of the APC youths at the INEC office is to safeguard our hard-earned victory, especially as we have trusted information that the PDP Chairman in Edo State, Tony Aziegbemi, has planned to take advantage of his acquittance with a female INEC ICT department staff, from one of the neighbouring states, to falsify some already declared results.
“We call on Nigerians to disregard the baseless statement credited to Asue Media Organisation, through one Erhabor Emokpae, accusing the police and other law enforcement agencies of planning to manipulate the electoral process to favour our party.
“This statement is an open demonstration of poor understanding of what electoral process is. Ighodalo and PDP must be reminded that the 2024 Edo State governorship election has been conducted and won by distinguished Senator Monday Okpebholo over over two weeks ago.
“We will, nonetheless, excuse their confusion, which must be a result of concussion they suffered from the knockdown on September 21, 2024, and to simply inform them that the challenge they now face is a legal process, which has now become their albatross.
“The All Progressives Congress has no blame in the PDP judicial mishap.”
