PDP candidate Asue Ighodalo protested at the Edo INEC headquarters, accusing officials of election manipulation. Allegations of police complicity and bypassing the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) emerged, leading to tensions as police dispersed protesters with teargas. The election results continue to be closely monitored amid allegations.
PDP governorship candidate Asue Ighodalo visited the INEC headquarters in Benin to protest alleged irregularities in the Edo governorship election. Ighodalo and his supporters accused INEC officials of bypassing the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in certain areas, particularly his strongholds, leading to concerns about the integrity of the results.
Ighodalo, along with his campaign director-general Matthew Iduoriyekenwe, claimed that some voters were allowed to thumbprint without proper accreditation, raising suspicions of manipulation. Iduoriyekenwe expressed frustration, questioning the need for the BVAS if INEC could bypass it. Ighodalo further accused the police of colluding with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the election in favor of their candidate, Monday Okpebholo.
Tensions escalated as PDP members gathered outside the collation center in the early hours of Sunday. Around 2:45 am, the police dispersed the protesters with teargas, intensifying the standoff. Ighodalo emphasized that the police were complicit in efforts to disrupt the election process.
Meanwhile, Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki was escorted out of the INEC premises by police officers after spending nearly three hours inside. APC leaders, including deputy governorship candidate Dennis Idahosa, demanded Obaseki’s removal, accusing him of interfering with the electoral process.
As of the time of reporting, INEC had uploaded 97% of the results, and the collation was set to resume. Both parties remained vigilant as tensions mounted over the outcome.
