By joshua 
… as INEC admits responsibility
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
Edo State chapter of the Labour Party has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to immediately review the results of the just concluded elections in Orhionmwon/Uhunmode Federal Constituencies
and effect the correction by adding the omitted 2,414 votes of the Labour Party to the total numbers of votes scored by the party.
This was contained in the letters presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC office In Benin city by the protesters who are Concerned Citizens Of Orhionmwon/Uhunmode federal constituencies.
The State Chairman of the party, Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi In one Of the letter to INEC accused them of failing in their duty to conduct fair and peaceful elections as his party 2,414 votes was allegedly not added to the party’s total number Of votes cast.
Also in one Of the letters written by the LP candidate for House Of Representative, Murphy Imasuen said he should be declared as the winner of Orhionmwon/Uhunmode federal constituencies.
At yesterday’s protest march by thousands of Labour Party supporters from Orhionmwon/ Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency to the office of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) at Ramat Park, IkpobaHill, Benin City, Edo State capital , traffic was held up for several hours .
They complained of a deliberate attempt by INEC to deprive them of their 2,414 votes which was allegedly removed from the party’s total number Of votes scored.
The Labour Party supporters chanting solidarity songs while displaying placards with inscriptions: “Prof. Mamuad & President Buhari Should Sack Edo REC Now”, “Our Candidate Murphy Imasuen Is The Winner We Know”, “INEC-Edo REC (Mer. Effang Obo) Is A Thief”, “Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Calls For Their Vote To Be Reviewed”, “INEC Give Us Our Stolen Mandate”, “APC Is The Loser Not Labour Party”, to express their displeasure over the result announced by INEC in favour of the APC candidate.
Spokespersons for the Labour Party protesters, Ambassador Comrade Curtis Eghosa Ugbo and Blessing Agho said the House of Representatives rerun election was won by the Labour Party candidate but was allegedly manipulated for the APC candidate.
They said the returning Officer didn’t add up the 2,414 votes of the Labour Party candidates which was earlier omitted even when the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) gave the directive for its addition before the supplementary election.
Comrade Curtis Eghosa Ugbo who submitted the petitions to the INEC Chairman through the Edo State INEC, Head of Department, Voters Education/Publicity, Mr. Timidi Wariowe called for the authentication of the result and complete the collation and declare the Labour Party candidate the original winner of the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal of House of representatives elect.
Responding to the protesters complaints, Edo State INEC Head of Department, Voters Education/Publicity, Mr. Timidi Wariowe said INEC is fully aware of their claim. He added that INEC have received the petition written by Edo State chapter of Labour Party in respect of the omission of 2,414 votes of the party’s figures in Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency.
“We could not do it because it was not out duty to do so, that the 2,414 votes were not added to the votes of the Labour Party.
“The Resident Electoral Commission (REC) cannot enter any figure to the number of votes as only the Returning Officer that can do so,” he said.
He added that, “the Collation Officer was instructed to add the old figures which was outstanding before the coalition of the supplementary votes. Unfortunately, the condition overwhelmed him and he failed to enter it , but enter the new figures and announced the results.”
“There is a widow of seven days. So, we are going to submit the petition to our headquarters in Abuja as early as possible for INEC to handle the issue. The law is very clear. There is a widow to look into the law, we are going to handle the matter expeditiously, we here in Benin City don’t have the power to do anything.”
Recall the Orhionmwon and Uhunmwonde federal constituency was one of the areas that INEC held Supplementary Elections on the 15th of April, 2023.