The Edo State governorship election has taken off Saturday morning, with the main contestants casting their votes early.
Governor Godwin Obaseki, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, and his wife, Betsy, voted at Oredo, Ward 4 in Benin City. Some voters who cast their ballots earlier had to wait at the voting centre for the governor to arrive.
Obaseki’s arrival caused a stir as some of the voters struggled to catch a glimpse of the governor who arrived with his entourage.
His main opponent and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, voted at exactly 9:30am at polling unit 26, ward 5 in Iguododo community, Orionhwon Local Government Area.
Among the early voters was also Adams Oshiomhole, former National Chairman of the APC, who has been the chief marketer of Ize-Iyamu in the buildup to the election. Oshiomhole voted at Polling unit – 001, Ward 10, Iyamho, Etsako West LGA.
Obaseki expresses disappointment over non-functional card readers, laments INEC’s unpreparedness
The Edo state Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Godwin Obaseki has expressed disappointment over the failure of card readers in several wards across the state.
Obaseki who spoke to journalists shortly after casting his vote on Saturday, in Oredo Local Government Area of the state, noted that after spending several hours on the queue due to card reader issues, the failure of the card readers shows the unpreparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the governor, “I expected better preparation on the part of those saddled with the responsibility to conduct this election. To wait for one and a half hour on the queue before exercising my franchise is a bit disappointing.
“Given that this is a sole day’s election, I expected better planning and preparation and resources should have been put into this election.
“At the last presidential election, in my polling unit, there were two polling points which eased the burden on voters. You all are witnesses to how long it has taken.
“The card reader here is working slowly, and this is the situation in all the major voting centres in Oredo Local Government Area of the state as I speak.
“At Garrick Memorial School, I understand that over 500 voters are already stranded because they can’t vote due to slow processing of the card reader.
“One would have expected that INEC will have deployed more card readers and more voting points in high density polling centres,” he said.
Responding to the issue of vote-buying at polling units, the governor said that the security agencies are not doing what they assured Edo people and Nigerians before the election.
“The security agencies assured us that they won’t allow anybody who doesn’t have business of voting, into a particular place, but they are working contrary to what they promised us.
“You can see cars parked with a lot of cash being disbursed to people buying votes, and it seems to be normal practice, but we are not perturbed as people know what to do. Cash can’t buy their future,” Obaseki noted.
PDP Alleges “deliberate election manipulation ongoing in Obaseki’s stronghold”
Special Adviser to Edo State Governor, Crusoe Osagie, has said that “there is deliberate election manipulation in areas where the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki is popular” in the gubernatorial election underway in the state.
According to him: “Suddenly card readers are not working in areas where Governor Godwin Obaseki is very popular.
Voters are being disenfranchised and we are constrained to say that this is sabotage.
“Specifically, in Oredo Ward 1, Unit 20 and other places where the Governor is clearly popular, the card readers are not working.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should prove to Edo voters that it can conduct a credible election in Edo State.”
Obaseki and his wife Betsy voted at Oredo, Ward 4 in Benin City earlier today.
Obaseki wins his polling unit, as PDP scores 184 votes, APC 62
Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in his Unit 19, Oredo, Local Government Area, in the Saturday’s gubernatorial election, in Edo State, defeating Osagie Ize-lyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), according to result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While Obaseki scored 184 votes, Ize-lyamu got 62 votes.
