A large group of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) supporters stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Benin City on Sunday to protest the ongoing collation of Saturday’s governorship election results. The protesters expressed dissatisfaction with the results being announced by INEC at the state collation center, claiming they do not reflect the true outcome of the vote.
Tensions flared as some of the protesters vowed not to accept the results, which they believe have been manipulated. “Edo is not Lagos. We did not vote for APC. We voted PDP. Our vote must count. We didn’t vote for APC. We voted for PDP, Asue Ighodalo,” a protester said, echoing the sentiments of many gathered outside the INEC office.
PDP supporters storm INEC headquarters in Benin city to protest Saturday’s governorship election result currently being collated at the state collation centre.#EdoDecides24 #EdoDecides2024 pic.twitter.com/KgFYpb11Sy
— Channels Television (@channelstv) September 22, 2024
The atmosphere around the INEC headquarters remained charged as the protesters insisted that the will of the people must be respected. Security personnel have been deployed to maintain order and ensure the safety of INEC staff and facilities.
The situation remains tense as INEC continues to announce the results. Many in the state and across the country are watching closely to see how the electoral body will handle the mounting pressure and allegations of irregularities.
