Edo State Deputy Governor-elect, Rt Hon Dennis Idahosa led All Progressives Congress (APC) members on a protest at the Benin office of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday, claim plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Asue Ighodalo to tamper with results sheets in custody of the commission.
The protesters blocked the entrance into the INEC office thereby creating heavy gridlock around the area as they cautioned INEC against allowing anybody to tamper with the election documents.
Speaking at INEC premises, Idahosa said, “We are here at the INEC premises today because as of yesterday, we heard from a reliable source that the current governor had organize to come and invade the INEC premises. And while we are here as concerned Edo youths, we would not allow that to happen. That is why we are here to ensure that there is stability, there is law and order in this place.”
But Ighodalo and the PDP had obtained a court enrolled order directing INEC to, among other things, hand over the comprehensive list of all the electoral materials available in its custody for the inspection by it and Ighodalo. The party also required “the taking of the Certified True Copy thereof.”
The order was given in the suit marked EPT/ED/GOV/01M/2024 between Ighodalo Asuerinme and PDP as applicants and INEC, Okpebholo Monday and the APC as respondents.
Corroborating Ighodalo’s demand, the national publicity secretary of PDP Hon Debo Ologunagba, in a statement yesterday, condemned the reported refusal by INEC officials in state to grant it’s candidate access to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines and other materials used in the September 21, 2024 Edo State Governorship election against the Order of Court.
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