By Edo State Residents Watch
The inspection of election materials for the 2024 Edo State governorship election was abruptly adjourned indefinitely on Thursday, following violent outbursts of sporadic gunfire from suspected thugs outside the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Benin.
Tensions had already been simmering between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), culminating in a clash near Ikpoba River, approximately 700 meters from the INEC office. Eyewitness accounts reported several individuals sustaining bullet wounds during the encounter.
Initially scheduled for Wednesday, the inspection of election materials was thwarted by a collaborative objection from the APC, demanding that the review start with the voters’ register instead of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). The party cited a tribunal ruling which the PDP in this procedural disagreement weren’t comfortable with. As a consequence of inadequate notice regarding the inspection schedule given to the APC, they arrived without their copy of the required voters’ register, resulting in a postponement to Thursday.
On Thursday, just as the inspection was set to commence, complications arose. The APC’s Edo State Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, presented a petition to the INEC Director of Operations, alleging that BVAS machines and voters’ registers had been surreptitiously brought to the INEC complex by vehicles believed to be from the State Government House days prior. This claim led the APC to demand that the petition be resolved before the inspection could proceed.
PDP representatives dismissed the APC’s allegations as baseless and frivolous, insisting that the inspection must start as it was sanctioned by a court order. The disagreement between the two major parties created a heated environment within the INEC office, eventually giving way to chaos when gunfire erupted outside, presumably linked to the ongoing political unrest.
In light of escalating tensions and security concerns, the INEC Director of Operations decided to suspend the materials inspection indefinitely.
Speaking to journalists, APC counsel Victor Ohionsumua emphasized their party’s stance, stating, “We will only return for the inspection once our petition has been addressed.” He elaborated on the APC’s objection, highlighting the need for the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner to address their concerns regarding the entry of BVAS machines and voters’ registers to ensure a fair process.
Reacting to the situation, Kelly Ogbaloi, the factional Chairman of the Labour Party in Edo State, expressed his dismay at the current state of affairs, noting that the atmosphere in the INEC office was far from conducive for the critical inspection to take place. “This experience is a total melee,” he remarked. “It is crucial for the agency and the political parties to come together to create a level playing field.”
As of the time of reporting, attempts to gather comments from PDP officials regarding the developments proved fruitless, raising concerns about the state of PDP’s petition to the election tribunal in Edo State. The indefinite adjournment of the inspection process has compounded the anxiety surrounding the election petition tribunal, as Edo State braces for a post election process fraught with political tension and insecurity.
As the situation continues to evolve, the implications for the PDP governorship candidate remain unclear, leaving residents and stakeholders alike apprehensive about the chance of Asue’s petition at the election petition tribunal and its success thereof.
