Members of the Labour Party (LP) staged a massive protest against the local government (LG) council elections in Edo State. The protest took place on Saturday, and it coincided with strong condemnations from the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), David Imuse, who criticized the elections as a sham.
The LP protesters gathered at the state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and called for the outright cancellation of the elections, labeling them as fraudulent. These protesters, primarily from Oredo and Ikpoba Okha Local Government Areas, publicly announced their decision to withdraw from the election due to alleged irregularities.
One of their key demands was for the federal government to entrust the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the responsibility of conducting all local government elections in the country. They argued that this would prevent the state government from hijacking the electoral process.
The protesters squarely blamed the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) for failing to fulfill its promise of conducting free, fair, and credible elections. Specifically, they pointed out significant issues, such as the absence of electoral materials in multiple wards and a shortage of ballot papers compared to the number of registered voters in some units.
The chairmanship candidates for the LP in Ikpoba Okha and Oredo local governments, Mashido Osamudiamen Eghaghe and Daniel-Ero Onaghise, both criticized the election, claiming it favored one party despite the presence of seven registered political parties.
Chairman of the APC, David Imuse, joined the chorus of criticism, describing the entire election process as a scam and a charade. He highlighted the absence of result sheets as a fundamental flaw in the election, questioning how an election could proceed without this critical document.
However, in stark contrast to these protests and accusations, Governor Godwin Obaseki and candidates from his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), insisted that the elections were conducted fairly, without violence, and with impressive turnout.
Governor Obaseki, who cast his ballot despite the rain, commended the voter turnout and praised the smooth process. He anticipated popular candidates would emerge victorious and suggested that voting time might be extended in areas where voting materials hadn’t arrived.
Eghe Ogbemudia, a former chairman of Egor Local Government council and PDP candidate, described the elections as very peaceful and expressed hope of winning.
Tom Obaseki, the PDP candidate for Oredo LG, expressed confidence in his party’s campaign efforts and predicted victory in the polls.
