A court-mandated inspection of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines from the recently concluded Edo State governorship election has taken a violent turn as supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been attacking People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members after the exercise at the INEC office in Benin City.
The violence, which has been happening for several days, has sparked widespread concern about the safety of PDP supporters in the state.
Among those who have been victims of the APC-sponsored violence is Comrade Bayode Choice, a popular social media influencer and President of the Edo State Social Media Force.
Known for his advocacy for democracy and transparency, Comrade Choice was attacked at the INEC office during the BVAS inspection.
Eyewitnesses revealed that what was meant to be a routine observation quickly escalated into a dangerous confrontation.
According to reports, a group of APC thugs, led by an individual known as “Nomolest,” descended on the small gathering of PDP youths who had come to the INEC office to monitor the BVAS inspection.
The APC supporters, in the hundreds, aggressively intimidated and attacked the PDP members. Comrade Bayode Choice, fearing for his safety, hurriedly left the premises.
He later told journalists: “I could see that the level of intimidation was high, and it could have led to killings.
“I had to go home. There were no PDP supporters or party leaders present to stand against these thugs. It was dangerous.”
He added that as he attempted to leave the scene, through a taxi, hoping to return home peacefully, a mob of APC thugs, recognizing him as a prominent PDP media correspondent, accused him of recording their violent actions.
He said the thugs, armed with various weapons, began shouting, “This man na PDP media correspondent, he came here to capture and record us.”
Fearing for his life, Comrade Choice ran to a nearby fuel station located behind the INEC office, where he sought refuge.
According to him, security personnel, including police officers and soldiers stationed at the fuel station, intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further.
“If not for the swift intervention of the security agencies and the management of Con Oil, the story could have been very different. I thank God Almighty for saving my life,” Comrade Choice recounted.
The violent acts of intimidation by APC thugs have led to growing outrage among PDP supporters and civil society groups.
Many are calling on Governor Godwin Obaseki to take immediate and decisive action to end the menace posed by political thugs in Edo State.
Comrade Choice further stated: “If the governor does not take drastic action to end this menace, there may be no hope for recovering the stolen mandate.
“We cannot remain silent. We’ve seen this kind of violence before, back in 2015, Tony Kabaka and his boys nearly stabbed PDP youths to death at the tribunal premises. We cannot allow history to repeat itself.”
As the PDP prepares to pursue its legal challenge against the election results, many believe that the ongoing intimidation is a deliberate tactic to discredit the party’s petition.
Meanwhile, supporters of the party are now trending the hashtag #StopElectoralViolence to call to attention the politically motivated attacks against their supporters in Edo state.