Protests Rock Edo State Over Controversial Governorship Election [VIDEO]
Massive protests erupted in the heart of Edo State as supporters of the Asue/Oghie Mandate Recovery Group took to the streets of Benin City, demanding the restoration of what they called the “stolen mandate” in the recently concluded governorship election.
Thousands of protesters, chanting slogans and holding placards, marched through the city, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of manipulating the results in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The protesters, primarily supporters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, decried what they called “blatant electoral fraud,” with many calling for the immediate sack of INEC officials whom they believe were complicit in the alleged manipulation of the election results.
Placards carried by the demonstrators bore strong messages such as, “INEC give us our mandate back,” while others specifically called for the removal of certain officials: “Donatus Etukudo, Etsako East should be sacked” and “INEC, why did you manipulate the IREV results?”
Another placard read, “INEC, sack Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner.”
We demand you to return our stolen mandate @inecnigeria @OfficialAPCNg @officialABAT Edo people didn’t vote for APC #ThePeoplesGovernor pic.twitter.com/EXkCBYZIlZ
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The protests have gained momentum since the election results were announced, with many alleging that irregularities, including the manipulation of the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV), undermined the true will of the people.
“We are here because our votes were stolen!” one protester, a member of the Asue/Oghie Mandate Recovery Group, said.
He added: “INEC must explain why the IREV results did not reflect what we saw at the polling units!”
The governorship election was fiercely contested between the PDP’s Asue Ighodalo and the APC’s Senator Monday Okpebholo. While INEC declared the APC candidate the winner, election observers and civil society organisations have alleged widespread electoral malpractice.
The protesters accused INEC officials of deliberately altering results transmitted through the IREV system, tipping the scales in favour of the APC candidate.
One protest leader, visibly angered by the election’s outcome, said, “We have evidence that the results from several polling units in Etsako East were changed after they were uploaded to the IREV portal.
This is not democracy; this is fraud! INEC must act now and remove these corrupt officials.”
Another protester, holding a placard calling for the sack of INEC officials, said, “We demand that Donatus Etukudo and the REC be held accountable for their actions. They should be sacked immediately, and the election results should be reviewed. We will not stop until justice is served!”
Many protesters argue that the results seen at the polling units, where PDP was reportedly leading in several local governments, did not match the figures released by INEC.
“The IREV results were deliberately manipulated to favour the APC candidate. We have proof that votes were added in some areas, while in others, PDP’s votes were reduced. We cannot allow this travesty to stand!” another protester told journalists covering the event.
