Like the 2012 protest against removal of fuel subsidy which was code named ‘occupy Nigeria’, some Benin residents under the auspices – National Coalition of Edo Voters – have vowed to continuously express their displeasure against the outcome of the February 25 presidential election until the needful is done by those concerned.
The group who said being law abiding citizen, they would not want their protest to disrupt any one or commercial activities in the city, however said they would on daily basis converge on the centre of Benin city popularly known as Museum Ground in protest against declaration of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the APC by INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu as winner of the February 25 poll.
Armed with posters with different inscriptions such as ‘Nigeria Is Not An Item To Be Sold’; ‘INEC Belongs to Nigerians, Not to Politicians’; ‘No BVAS, No Election’; ‘Rigging is Not Part of Our Mandate’; ‘We Want a Collation, Not Allocation’; amongst others, the protesters insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did a shoddy job and stole mandate of Nigerians.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, one of their leaders, Olu Martins, said that the presidential election was massively rigged in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Martins, who lamented that it has never this bad in this country, described the 8 years of APC rule as “satanic, evil, hell, etc.”
While demanding for the sack, arrest and prosecution of INEC Chairman, he advised Nigerians to reject the ruling party, saying it has brought untold hardship on Nigerians in the last seven and a years it took over the reins of power in the country.
“INEC promised us that the elections would be free and credible, but unfortunately, it scammed Nigerians. For this, INEC Chairman should be arrested, prosecuted and jailed,” he added .
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He continued: “We must show them (APC) that we are angry, and the only way to express our anger is to vote out APC on March 11. The APC has pauperized Nigerians and should be rejected at the March 11 Governorship/House of Assembly Election. Vote for any other party but not APC. Reject APC.”
Also speaking, Comrade Chris Ojeikere vowed that the group will sustain the momentum in the run up to the March 11, adding that the protest will continue on a massive level next week
Comrade Ojeikere reiterated his call for the arrest and prosecution of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu for what he insisted as the massive rigging of the February 25 presidential election which was won by the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
On his part, Hon. Shadrach Udugbai said enough of APC misrule in the country, just as he urged other Nigerians to join the protest.