Thousands of women clad in black took to the streets of Benin City today, protesting the outcome of the recently concluded Edo governorship election.
The demonstrators are demanding the reinstatement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie, whom they believe were the rightful winners.
Chanting slogans such as “Justice for Edo!” and “Our votes must count,” the women accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of tampering with the results in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
They expressed outrage over what they called election manipulation and demanded the immediate release of all election materials for proper inspection, as mandated by the court.
One of the protest leaders said, “We are not here for violence; we are here for justice. Our votes were for Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie, and we will not allow our democracy to be stolen.”
The peaceful protest disrupted major roads in the city as participants marched towards the INEC office. They called on the electoral body to respect the court’s directive to make the election materials available for scrutiny.
Mrs. Iwinosa Aikhomu, one of the protesters, declared, “This is our future. INEC must follow the law, and the APC must respect the people’s will!” The women further urged the international community to intervene in what they warned could escalate into unrest.
This protest marks the latest in a series of demonstrations in Edo State since the election results were announced, with supporters of Ighodalo and Ogie continuing to demand justice.