There was protest yesterday at the Benin City office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) when women from Ovia South West constituency protested the declaration of the Assembly election in the area inconclusive by the returning officer, Professor Francis Omoruyi and want the electoral umpire to declare Sunday Aghedo as the winner of Saturday’s election.
This protest is on the heels of claims by the chairman of Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) that there were irregularities in several voting centres and alleged massive vote buying by agents allegedly loyal to Governor Godwin Obaseki in parts of Edo South senatorial district, Edo Central and Edo North.
He said the coalition would consider legal options to address the situation if the electoral umpire allowed the noticed irregularities unaddressed.
At the INEC office, spokesperson of the women, Mrs Angela Okpame while commending INEC for the conduct of the election said, “We voted for Hon Sunday Aghedo in 2019 he was denied inauguration and so for four years, Ovia South West had no representation and by 2023, God did it again, we voted for him again to return to the house.
“Hon Sunday Aghedo won the election, the result has been uploaded only for one man, Professor Omoruyi that wants to rub the name of INEC in the mud announced that the election was inconclusive.”
Also, a petition by counsel to Aghedo, Ogbankwa Douglas said Aghedo won the election based on results declared at the wards by the “Returning Officers at the Ward, with copies of the prescribed Form EC8 Series, with no incidence whatsoever and with the results returned, being in full compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.”
The state chairman of the APC, Col David Imuse (rtd) called on the INEC to prevail on Omoruyi to release the results.
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