More than two weeks after the conduct of the off-cycle governorship election in Edo State, the women’s wing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staged a peaceful protest on Tuesday, demanding the declaration of the party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, as the winner of the election.
According to report the women, who thronged out in large numbers wearing black attire, alleged that the mandate freely given to the party’s governorship candidate was stolen by the electoral umpire and handed over to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
The women vowed to continue the protest until their mandate was restored to the rightful owner. They carried placards with various inscriptions such as “INEC sack Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner,” “Edo PDP won the election but INEC and police colluded to change it,” among others.
The women 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.
Speaking to newsmen, the spokesperson for the women, Hon. Stella Okoro, expressed their deep pain over the conduct and outcome of the governorship election. Okoro, a former chairman of Esan West Local Government Council, alleged that the PDP’s governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, was the duly elected candidate, but his mandate was subverted.
According to her, “We are here today at NUJ to express our feelings, our pains. We are troubled because of our stolen mandate. Our stolen mandate is what we are asking for.
“We are not lions and tigers; we voted. Edo people came out to vote for Asue Ighodalo, and that is why we mothers are here today. We are in pain; we are mourning. We are in black, telling them to give us back our stolen mandate.
“Our stolen mandate was given to Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie. Now the lions and tigers are out to claim what does not belong to them.
“We tell them no. It is our mandate. We are calling on INEC, we are calling on the police, we are calling on the soldiers they used to intimidate us, the same soldiers they used to rob us. Before the election, they were embarrassing our sons and daughters.
“They arrested our people, and they were taken to Abuja; some were in the State CID. We know what we went through to bring back our children. We are not happy. We have never seen this kind of election before.
“Despite all the intimidation and the money they spent, Edo people said no. It is Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie they want, and they did and they won.
“Give us our mandate, or else we will not rest until they give it to us. The Almighty God is hearing the women’s voice,” she said.
Also speaking, the Oredo women leader, Lady Meg Agbokhai, said the party labored and toiled for their victory, and they would not fold their arms and allow their mandate, given to Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie, to be stolen.
Agbokhai added that they would do everything possible to reclaim the mandate.
“We don’t have lions, and we don’t have tigers. Human beings came out to vote for PDP in Edo State. We are begging the people in the name of the Almighty to give us our mandate.
“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.
“In the name of God Almighty, we are begging you to give us our mandate. Edo people are mourning; we are in tears,” she added.
