Edo 2024: Again, INEC Denies PDP, Ighodalo Access to BVAS, Other Materials

•PDP women continue to protest alleged stolen mandate

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

For the second day running, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo State has refused to grant the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, access to the Bimodal Voter Authentication System (BVAS) machines and other materials used for the September 21 governorship election, despite a court order.

Moreover, yesterday, the women wing of PDP in Edo State said they will continue their peaceful protest over an alleged stolen mandate of the party until it was restored to its rightful owner.

The legal team for the PDP governorship candidate, led by Olusegun Jolaawo, SAN, had on Monday visited the INEC headquarters in Benin City, the Edo State capital, to try to access the BVAS machines, voters’ register, ballot papers, and other election materials used by the electoral body for the September 21 gubernatorial election to flesh up its petition against the alleged rigging of the poll. But the team was refused access, despite presenting the court order to INEC officials.

The visit followed a court enrolled order, dated September 29, 2024, and signed by secretary of the Edo State governorship election tribunal, Mu’azu Ibrahim Bagudu Esq., and Chairman of the tribunal, Honourable Justice W. I. Kpochi.

The order directed INEC, among other things, to hand over the comprehensive list of all the electoral materials available in its custody for the inspection of Ighodalo and PDP and “the taking of the Certified True Copy thereof”.

Though they were not granted audience by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), the INEC officials, who attended to Ighodalo’s legal team, after several hours of waiting, directed them to return today, Tuesday, October 8, to allow the INEC officials get permission from Abuja.

The team returned today, for the second time running, and were denied access to the materials.

Reacting to the situation, yesterday, Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, said it was a delay tactic by INEC, working in connivance with All Progressives Congress (APC), to obstruct justice and frustrate the efforts of PDP to regain its mandate allegedly stolen during the September 21 governorship election.

“We are aware that the clandestine and surreptitious game plan is to frustrate the PDP appeal and ensure the petition is not filed before the Saturday deadline,” Nehikhare said.

He accused APC of planning to burn the INEC office so as to destroy the BVAS machines and other electoral materials in an attempt to eliminate evidence of their “electoral fraud”.

Reassuring that PDP will not relent in exposing the electoral theft and regaining its mandate, Nehikhare called on the police to take charge of the INEC office to prevent the alleged planned attack and burning of the facility. He said the police should also ensure enforcement of the court order allowing PDP to inspect the election materials.

Meanwhile, the Edo State PDP women’s wing vowed to continue their protest over the alleged stolen governorship mandate of the party until it was restored.

The women, who donned black apparel with placards of various inscriptions, took their protest march through major streets of Benin City before arriving at the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council.

Addressing journalists at the NUJ state office, spokesperson for the women and former chairman of Esan West Local Government Council, Stella Okoro, said they were deeply pained by the outcome of the recent governorship election in the state.

Okoro alleged that the PDP governorship candidate, Ighodalo, was the duly elected candidate, but his mandate was subverted.

She stated, “We are here today in 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 black, telling them to give us back our stolen mandate.

“Our stolen mandate, that mandate was given to Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie. Now the lions and tigers are now out to come and claim what does not belong to them.

“We tell them no. It is our mandate. We are calling on the INEC, we are calling on the police, we are calling on the soldiers that they used to intimidate us, that they used to rob us. Before the election, they were embarrassing our sons and daughters.”