Youths of Edo State, yesterday, stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Abuja, protesting the outcome of the September 28 governorship election which they accused INEC of complicity.
The protesters, under the auspices of Coalition of Edo State Youth for Democracy, insisted that the result declared by the electoral umpire at the election was not the true reflection of the choice of the people of the state.
They were singing solidarity songs, carried placards with various inscriptions; ‘Edo People reject INEC Result’, ‘INEC no-longer Independent’, ‘PDP won election in Edo State’, ‘We Reject Vote Declared by INEC’, etc.
However, they were blocked by fierce looking men of the Nigeria Police Force, who claimed that their letter to stage a peaceful protest sent to the force was not approved by the FCT Commissioner of Police, leading to a brief hiccup along the road leading to INEC headquarters in Maitama.
Speaking at the rally, a member of the Nigeria Youth Parliament, representing Edo Central Senatorial District, Hon. Prosper Iyere said: “We are here today to let fellow Nigerians know that democracy has been murdered, assassinated in Nigeria particularly the Edo state election.
“The governor has orchestrated and tried to connive with INEC to rig the election without taking the people of Edo State into cognisance.
“They have denied us our votes, election was completely rigged and we are not comfortable with it. We have of course held series of protests in Edo State, and again we felt we should come to the capital territory, Abuja because of the same issue.
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