In a large-scale protest on Tuesday, thousands of women from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dressed in black, marched through the streets of Benin City, Edo State, to voice their anger over the conduct of the recent governorship election.
The women, holding placards and chanting solidarity songs, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security forces of colluding with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rob their candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, of his rightful victory in the September 21 election.
The protest was led by PDP women leaders, including Mrs. Pat Erhabor, the Edo South PDP Women Leader, and Hon. Stella Okoro, the Esan Central Women Leader.
They delivered a passionate plea for justice, accusing INEC and the police of actively intimidating PDP supporters and manipulating the electoral process in favor of the APC.
“We are mourning today because our votes were stolen. The lions and tigers have taken what doesn’t belong to them,” said Mrs. Erhabor.
She emphasized that despite overwhelming support for Ighodalo, the will of the people was subverted through deliberate actions by INEC and law enforcement agencies, who abandoned their duty to ensure a free and fair election.
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Placards held by the protesters bore messages like “Dr. Ighodalo, The Governor – Elect We Know” and “INEC, Give Us Our Mandate Back,” reflecting their frustration over the election outcome.
They accused INEC of disregarding electoral guidelines and shamelessly handing the victory to the APC through manipulation and coercion.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Andy Egbon, Secretary of the Edo chapter, assured the protesters that their grievances would be publicized widely. He urged them to maintain the peaceful nature of the protest to prevent it from being hijacked by troublemakers.
The protesters later moved to the Edo State House of Assembly, where they were addressed by the Majority Leader, Hon. Charity Iguodala Aiguobarueghian, who represented the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku.
Hon. Aiguobarueghian commended the women for their peaceful conduct and assured them of the Assembly’s support, urging them to remain vigilant and not allow their protest to be overtaken by miscreants.
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Election experts, analyzing the situation, pointed to a growing trend of election-related protests in Nigeria as citizens demand more transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
Dr. Femi Ojo, a political analyst, noted, “The Edo situation reflects a deeper mistrust in Nigeria’s electoral institutions, where claims of irregularities are often met with protests.
It highlights the need for INEC to strengthen its processes and for security agencies to remain neutral in future elections.”
The women reiterated their call for INEC to reverse what they described as a stolen mandate, vowing to continue their peaceful demonstrations until justice is served.
The protest in Benin is part of a broader movement by PDP supporters, challenging the results of the Edo governorship election and demanding the restoration of what they believe is a victory for their candidate, Asue Ighodalo.