The women wing of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Edo State chapter has protested against the declaration of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressive Congress, APC, as the winner of the September 21 governorship election in the state.
The group took their protest to some major streets and roads in Benin metropolis, as well as the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council.
The women who carried placards with inscriptions such as “Edo PDP won the election but INEC and police colluded to change it” and “INEC sack Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner,” among others, claimed that candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election, Mr. Asue Ighodalo was the authentic winner of the poll.
Speaking on behalf of the group, a former council chairman of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Mrs. Stella Okoro maintained that the PDP has enough evidence to justify its position.
She pointed out that it was Asue Ighodalo and the party’s deputy governorship candidate, Mr. Osariodion Ogie that people of the state voted for, alleging that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and security agents connived with the APC to rig the election.
Also speaking, PDP Oredo women leader, Lady Margaret Aigbokhai, said the party labored and toiled for their victory, and they would not fold their arms and allow their mandate to be stolen.
“We worked so hard for our mandate. We toured the 192 wards in Edo State, and the people of Edo State came out en masse to vote for us,” she stated.
Receiving the protesters at the NUJ Press Centre, secretary of the union, Mr. Andy Egbon thanked the women folk for going about their protest in a peaceful manner.
He encouraged them to continue in that manner and assured them of adequate dissemination of their information by the media.
