The women wing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Edo State chapter, on Tuesday vowed to continue their ongoing peaceful protest, demanding that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) restore the alleged stolen mandate of their candidate, Asue Ighodalo.

The women, clad in black attire and carrying placards with various inscriptions such as “INEC sack Edo State INEC Resident Electoral Commission” and “Edo PDP won the election but INEC and police colluded to change it,” took their protest march through some major streets of Benin and the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State council.

Addressing the press in Benin, spokesperson for the women’s group and former chairman of Esan West Local Government Area (LGA), Stella Okoro, said they are deeply pained over the outcome of the just-concluded Edo State governorship election.

She alleged that the PDP’s governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, was the duly elected candidate, but his mandate was subverted.

“We are here today at the NUJ to express our feelings, our pains. We are troubled because of our stolen mandate. Our stolen mandate is what we are asking for.

Members of the Edo PDP Women’s wing during the protest in Benin on Tuesday

“We are not lions and tigers. We voted. Edo people came out to vote for Asue Ighodalo, and that is why we, mothers, are here today. We are in pain, we are mourning, we are in black, telling them to give us back our stolen mandate.

“Our stolen mandate, that mandate was given to Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie. Now, the lions and tigers are out to claim what does not belong to them.

“It is our mandate. We are calling on INEC, we are calling on the police, we are calling on the soldiers they used to intimidate us, that they used to rob us. Before the election, they were embarrassing our sons and daughters.

“They arrested our people and took them to Abuja; some were in the State CID. We know what we passed through to bring back our children. We are not happy. We have never seen this kind of election before.

“Despite all the intimidation, Edo people said no. It is Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie they want, and they did, and they won.

“Give us our mandate, or else we will not rest until they give it to us. The Almighty God is hearing the women’s voice,” Okoro said.

Also speaking, the Oredo women leader, Lady Meg Agbokhai, said the party laboured and toiled for their victory and that they will not fold their arms and allow their mandate, given to Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie, to be stolen, adding that they will do everything possible to reclaim it.

“We don’t have lions, and we don’t have tigers. Human beings came out to vote for PDP in Edo State. We are begging the people in the name of the Almighty to give us our mandate.

“We worked so hard for our mandate. We toured the 192 wards we have in Edo State, and the people of Edo State came out en masse to vote for us.

“In the name of God Almighty, we are begging you to give us our mandate. Edo people are mourning, we are in tears,” Agbokhai said.

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