Many threatening to destroy PVCs over 2024 Edo election results – PDP official

An official of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that many residents of Edo State are threatening to destroy their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) over the alleged “manipulation” of the 2024 governorship election result in the state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the off-cycle governorship election held on 21 September in the South-South state.

INEC announced that Mr Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the PDP candidate Asue Ighodalo, who scored 247,274 votes.

The candidate of the Labour Party, Olumide Akpata, came third with 22,763 votes.

The PDP and its candidate have since rejected the election results.

‘People not happy with the result’

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday night, the PDP State Collation agent, Tony Iyoha, said many residents of Edo were threatening to destroy their PVCs because the poll was allegedly rigged in favour of the APC.

“I have travelled across the state since the results were declared. A lot of people are threatening to destroy their voters’ cards.

“This means that they won’t vote any more. They saw it (electoral malpractice) in 2023. This is 2024,” Mr Iyoha said.

The PDP agent said the Edo people were not celebrating the election outcome because INEC “declared as winner who they did not vote for.”

“The people are not celebrating (the outcome of the election). If you win a prize, people are expected to celebrate.

“It is only those that are going to benefit directly – like the party people – that are celebrating inside their houses. They cannot come out to celebrate because they know they didn’t win,” he said.

Protest at INEC office: ‘People are only venting their anger’

On Wednesday, several PDP supporters, led by some party leaders, held a peaceful protest at the INEC office in Benin, the state capital.

When asked if the protesters wanted the electoral body to reverse itself on the election results already declared, Mr Iyoha said the supporters only wanted to vent their anger.

“You don’t beat a child and expect the child not to cry. So, people are only venting their anger. They were protesting to let out their feelings about the result of the exercise,” he said.

“They have the right to protest under the Nigerian Constitution. Whether INEC decides to do the right thing or not, I don’t know. I think the next thing is the judicial process. We are going to court to challenge the result.”