The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has declared that Mrs Epelle-Asemota Bridgitte Osayuki remains its legitimate flagbearer for the Edo South Senatorial District despite a publication error by electoral authorities. The party issued a clarification following the publication of candidate particulars by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), where another aspirant’s photograph and credentials were superimposed onto her profile.
The NDC leadership described the administrative blunder as an embarrassing mix-up caused by mischievous elements within the electoral commission. Party officials emphasized that the submission of candidate details followed all statutory procedures prescribed by the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act. Consequently, the party released official portal upload receipts verifying that Mrs. Epelle-Asemota’s name, passport photograph, and academic credentials were correctly uploaded during the formal sponsorship window. “By the Constitution and the Electoral Act, no one can be a candidate of a political party unless sponsored by that party,” the NDC statement read, demanding that INEC publicly account for how the publication error occurred.
Furthermore, the NDC strongly condemned what it called an orchestrated campaign of calumny aimed at ethnicizing her candidacy ahead of the elections. The party reaffirmed her deep roots in Edo State, noting that she served 35 years in the Edo State public service, is the daughter of a Benin woman, and is married to Major-General Steve Asemota (Rtd.), younger brother to Benin’s first Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Solomon Asemota. Additionally, she is the sister of the Iyase of Benin and previously contested the 2023 House of Representatives election under the Labour Party platform. Party leaders maintained that while constructive criticism of her public record remains legitimate, targeted attacks on her ethnicity violate democratic values.
- Formal party confirmation reaffirming Mrs. Epelle-Asemota Bridgitte Osayuki as the sole NDC candidate for Edo South.
- Direct demand for INEC to rectify the superimposed photo and credential discrepancy on its public display boards.
- Rejection of ethnic hate speech targeting the candidate’s heritage following 35 years of civil service in Edo State.
- Reiteration of NDC’s commitment to advancing women, youths, and disadvantaged demographics in political leadership.
“She is as Benin as anyone else. People are free to criticise her performance, her views, and her person, that is legitimate — but not her ethnicity.”
The leadership of the NDC has urged voters across Edo South to disregard rumors of candidate substitution and remain focused on campaign issues. Meanwhile, civil society organizations have called on INEC to strengthen its data verification protocols to prevent administrative mistakes that confuse the electorate.
As political activities gather momentum across Edo State, electoral transparency remains a top priority for all participating stakeholders. Will INEC swiftly issue an official correction to reassure voters in the Edo South Senatorial District?
