The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced it will provide electoral materials to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday for the September 21 Edo State governorship election.
This information was shared by Augbum Onuoha, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo State, during an interview on Tuesday.
This announcement comes in response to allegations from the PDP regarding delays in accessing the materials, which they claim are part of a strategy to conceal electoral fraud. PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba accused INEC officials of deliberately withholding materials to manipulate them before inspection.
In his remarks, Onuoha confirmed that the PDP would be allowed access to the election materials on Wednesday, stating, “We have asked them to come tomorrow.”
The situation escalated with accusations from Edo State’s Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, who alleged that INEC was colluding with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to obstruct justice and impede the PDP’s legal efforts to contest the election results.
INEC had declared APC candidate Monday Okpebholo the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, who received 247,274 votes. The PDP is preparing to challenge this outcome in court.
Nehikhare expressed concerns that the delays were aimed at preventing the PDP from filing their petition before the court’s deadline. He also claimed that the APC was planning to destroy evidence of electoral fraud by burning the INEC office.
On Monday, the PDP’s legal team attempted to access essential electoral materials at the INEC headquarters in Benin City, but their efforts were thwarted despite presenting a court order.
Adding to the tension, the women’s wing of the Edo PDP staged a protest demanding the return of what they termed Ighodalo’s “stolen mandate.” Dressed in black, they voiced their frustrations and vowed to continue their demonstrations until justice is served.
PDP spokesperson Stella Okoro articulated the pain and disappointment felt by voters, stating, “We are mourning because of our stolen mandate. We voted for Asue Ighodalo, and we demand that our voices be heard.”
In response, the Edo APC dismissed the PDP’s allegations, labeling them as unfounded and a misrepresentation of events. The APC’s Director of Publicity urged the public to disregard the PDP’s claims, asserting that the election had been fairly won and the ongoing legal challenges were merely a reflection of the PDP’s failure to accept the results.
