PDP to inspect Edo poll materials today – INEC

Gift Habib and Adeyinka Adedipe

The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it will today (Wednesday)make available to the Peoples Democratic Party electoral materials for the September 21 Edo State governorship poll.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo State, Dr. Augbum Onuoha, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday amid complaints of delay by the PDP.

In a statement on Monday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, had alleged that INEC officials were deliberately withholding the electoral materials to allegedly doctor them in order to conceal the alleged rigging of the poll.

In response to the PDP’s concerns, the REC told our correspondent on Tuesday that the PDP would be given access to the election materials today.

“We have asked them to come tomorrow (Wednesday),” the REC said.

In a statement on Tuesday,  Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, accused INEC of employing delay tactics in alleged connivance with the All Progressives Congress to obstruct justice and frustrate the efforts of the PDP to challenge the outcome of the poll in court.

INEC had declared the APC candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, winner of the poll with 291,667 votes, to edge out PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, who recorded 247,274 votes.

But the PDP and Ighodalo alleged manipulation of the poll, vowing to challenge the result in court.

To be able to file a petition challenging the poll result, they secured a court order, directing INEC to allow them to inspect the electoral materials.

They, however, expressed frustration that INEC had refused to grant them access.

Speaking on the situation, Nehikhare 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 commissioner also accused the 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 alleged ‘electoral fraud.’

On Monday, the PDP legal team, led by Olusegun Jolaawo (SAN), had visited the INEC headquarters in Benin City, to access the BIVAS machine, voters register, ballot papers and other election materials but was refused access to the materials despite presenting the court order to INEC officials.

On Tuesday, the women wing of the Edo PDP staged a protest demanding the return of the allegedly stolen mandate of Ighodalo.

The women, who were clad in black attire and carried placards of various inscriptions, vowed that they would continue to protest until their demand was realised.

Addressing Journalists in Benin, spokesperson for the group and former Chairman of the Esan West Local Government Council, Stella Okoro, said they were deeply pained by the outcome of the election.

She added, “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.”

But in response to the agitation by the PDP, the Director of Publicity, Edo APC Governorship Campaign Council, denied APC’s involvement in the matter.

He said, “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.”