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*Planned protest orchestrated by govt—APC

As the state govt denies the allegation

By Ozioruva Aliu, BENIN CITY

AN Edo State-based group, the National Coalition of Edo Voters, yesterday, called for the cancellation of the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections over alleged irregularities even as it threatened to begin a daily protest at the National Museum in the city centre.

But the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, alleged that the planned protest was being orchestrated by the state government owing to the loss of its candidates in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

APC in a statement by the state chairman, Col David Imuse (retd) through the Assistant State Public Relations Officer, said: “Mr Obaseki is sponsoring protests across the state against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as a way of instigating chaos, so that the commission will not hold the state Assembly elections in Edo.”

But the state government through a statement by the Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, denied the allegation, saying such kind of thoughts could only be found with the APC.

In a joint statement, Olu Martins, Chris Ojeikere, Shadrach Udugbai, Douglas Odens and others but read by Martins demanded immediate “cancellation of the 2023 presidential election results as the election is totally an unacceptable fraud.

“That a neutral body of forensic experts should be invited to audit the entire presidential election results, with a view to discovering the demons that have been bedevilling credible elections in Nigeria. We are convinced they are hidden within.

“The immediate resignation of the INEC Chairman, Mahmoud Yakubu, or his sack, whichever comes first.

“An immediate investigation into the roles of non-INEC agents in the Presidential election in Rivers State.

“A public testimony and verbal account from our National Youth Service Corps members and other persons, who were physically manhandled during the elections.”