EDO 2024: PDP, APC in tight race for Government House as LP drops off

*CSOs bemoan vote-buying with bread, N5000

…I’m not satisfied with the process – Ighodalo

BY TITUS AKHIGBE, TUNDE OPALANA & NOSA AKENZUA

Amid palpable tension in Edo State towards the conduct of the governorship election, eligible voters turned out on Saturday to exercise their franchise by casting their votes for the candidate of their choice, which at the end has put the leading Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the opposition, All Progressives Congress in strong contention for the Government House, leaving the Labour Party, trailing behind.

The exercise which commenced in most of the polling units and wards witnessed low turn while other areas recorded huge turnout of voters. Some eligible voters trooped out despite the downpour to cast their votes.

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In Oredo Local Government Area, where the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki cast his vote at his ward 4, unit 19 at Emokpae primary school. He however expressed satisfaction with security arrangement even he noted that the PDP candidate will emerged victorious.

Obaseki who arrived his polling unit at ward 4 unit 19 at Emokpae primary school at Oredo local government area at 11:50am, did his accreditation and voted at about 11:57am before granting interview to journalists who had been waiting for him since 7:30am.

He said, “You can see that despite the weather, the turnout and enthusiasm of the electorate is high. The ballots box in my polling units is full and clearly it shows people have been interested in this election as they have been adequately mobilized.

“People are very interested in this election because it’s a watershed for us in Edo State. I’m not surprised because a lot of young people are here to come and express themselves and fulfill their civic obligation.

“For now I am glad with what I see and the election process in my unit has been smooth and efficient but just hoped that the collation process will be the same and also peaceful and hope that results counter will not disrupted.

There was vote buying in Oredo, Ikpoba Okha, Egor and Ovia South West Local Government Areas where party agents induced voter with cash ranging between N5, 000 and N10, 000 respectively.

In Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area , at Ologbosere primary ward 7 unit 37, the Biometric Voters Accreditation System, (BVAS) failed to function. Eligible voters in ward expressed disappointment.

INEC officials told the media that the faulty BVAS has been sent to the INEC office located in Ikpoba Hill to be replaced. The exercise was however peaceful as voters in ward cast their votes.

There was heavy turnout of voters in Edo Central senatorial district of the state for the governorship election as some of the voters arrived early at the voting centers.

In Idinrio, Okaigben in ward 1 unit 3, where the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, cast his vote after waiting for several hours before the arrival of material by INEC officials around 10:31am.

Ighodalo lamented over the lateness of INEC officials and electoral matters to the area and called for a three hours extension to accommodate every voters

Speaking during an interview, Ighodalo said, “Our people have been patient and I love the way they have been patient, though they are here now.

“I want to keep an open mind because we had rumours before that INEC has been compromised but I don’t want to believe, I want to give the benefit of doubt that INEC will create a free and fair level playing field.

“What I heard before is that INEC will be suppressed in our stronghold but I still want to give benefit of doubt and let’s see how things will go in the next few hours.

“We noticed that in many of stronghold there’s delay bit I don’t want to jump to conclusions because the INEC chairman has assured us that they are going to do everything humanly possible to ensure free and fair election. I don’t see any reason why we should not believe them and the rest of the day will show whether they truly acted to their words.

According to him, “In one of the wards here, ward 10 in my local government, there’s no material, no officials, we don’t have anything yet but it may be because of the distance.

“But I want everybody to be calm and should come out to vote, they shouldn’t be intimidated. They should come out in numbers to vote, they shouldn’t be afraid of anything, because when you come out to vote in numbers , you will prevails, but when you allow yourself to be cowed or intimidated, then your will is subverted and what they need today is for the will of the people to prevail.”

An 80- year old woman, Madam Ruth Bello, who spoke with our reporter after her voting, described the election as peaceful and noted that the process was seamless.

Meanwhile, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, the former governor of Edo State, denied the allegation that the All Progressives Congress stock-pilled money to buy votes of the people during the election.

Oshiomole who is also the senator representing the Edo North Senatorial District of the state, also said he had not received any report of violence from anywhere across the state, as the election was ongoing.

Speaking with journalists shortly after casting his votes at Iyamho, Ward 10 Unit 01 in Estako West Local Government Area of Edo State, the former governor said voting had been going on peacefully

The former governor said, “It was laughable when I heard this kind of allegation. You have been here, do you see anywhere where they are sharing money? People turned out in large number to vote for us because they want good government.

“All structures that I have put in place 8 years ago are still there but the ones put up by the present administration, in one year , they have washed off.”

Similarly, the Labour Party (LP), deputy governorship candidate, Prince Asamah Kadiri, SAN, had accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of vote buying.

He said the party engaged in desperate measures, and saw first-hand, the incident being perpetuated by the APC in Auchi and other parts of the Edo North district.

Prince Kadiri who disclosed this after voting in his vote in Auchi Ward 1, Unit 6, noted and alleged that “It is sad that the APC is engaging in vote buying in my unit and the reports available to me across Auchi and the Edo North district shows that the APC was buying votes for N10,000.”