Senior members of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) have besieged the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the exclusion of its gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Dennis Osahon Aikoriogie from the list of candidates published.
INEC had on March 31. 2024, released the list of governorship candidates and their credentials, with the NRM candidate’s name conspicuously absent, much to the chagrin of many citizens.
The protesters, led by the National Rescue Movement (NRM) National Publicity Secretary, Olusola Afuye, called on the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to do the needful or risk scuttling the process.
The protesters carried various placards demanding the inclusion of the NRM Candidate in the list of those contesting the September poll.
“The INEC office in Edo State led by local government area on Saturday but mysteriously excluded the name of our candidate, Dr. Dennis Osahon Aikoriogie who duly participated in the legitimate primaries monitored by INEC from National Headquarters in Abuja and the state HOD gap in Benin and widely reported,” the statement by the protesters reads in part.
Continuing, Afuye said:
“The National Rescue Movement (NRM) command that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should immediately upload the name and credential of our candidate or risk scuttling the entire process.”
He noted that once a party name is listed in the primary process, the political party is statutorily bound to conduct primaries for that political party.
“It is on record that our name, National Rescue Movement, was published, scheduled for primaries for that election in Edo State.”
“It will interest you to know that the background and originating issues precipitating the current situation are not unconnected with the apparent bias of the AG, the acting Director of EPM, a staff of INEC who is presumed to be neutral and non-partisan but has however displayed an unmitigated vested interest in our party and utter disdain for due process by the refusal to allow our candidate on the ballot,” he said.
