On October 3, 2024, members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gathered in front of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Benin, expressing their objections to the results of the recent Edo governorship election.
Leading the demonstration, state PDP chairman Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi was joined by the Director General of the PDP Campaign Council, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, and Deputy Director General (Media and Publicity) Rev. Olu Martins, among other party officials. The protesters displayed placards with messages urging INEC to restore what they termed the “stolen mandate” by declaring Dr. Asue Ighodalo as the rightful victor of the election.
The protest significantly disrupted traffic for several hours along the busy Auchi-Benin expressway, particularly around the Ramat Park area.
In his address to the crowd, Aziegbemi emphasized that the demonstration was intended to inform the public and the world that the PDP had, in fact, won the election, alleging that election results were manipulated. He accused INEC of altering results in certain local governments to favor an opposing candidate.
Aziegbemi stated, “We appreciate everyone for standing with us in this journey to reclaim our stolen mandate, which was undermined by both the police and INEC. If we had lost fairly, we would have congratulated the winners, but our victory was taken from us. Hence, we cannot offer congratulations.”
He urged party supporters to remain patient as the judiciary evaluates the matter and comes to a just conclusion. “This is Nigeria; we will not permit our victory to be usurped. We are confident that the substantial evidence we will present will help us reclaim our mandate,” he asserted.
Reaffirming his faith in the tribunal’s integrity, Aziegbemi expressed confidence that the members would review the evidence objectively and acknowledge that the PDP rightfully secured the election.
He underscored the party’s commitment to peaceful protests, highlighting that their actions were non-violent throughout the demonstration.
Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, Director General of the Asue/Ogie Campaign Organization, vowed that the PDP would persist in their protests until Ighodalo’s mandate was restored.
Earlier, Rev. Olu Martins called for the termination of electoral officers from Egor, Oredo, and Ikpoba Okha, accusing them of misconduct during the electoral process.
