Low voter turnout and the late arrival of electoral officials and materials characterised Saturday’s local government election in Edo State, even as Governor Monday Okpebholo insisted that the exercise was peaceful and orderly.
Across several polling units in the state’s 18 local government areas, voting started behind schedule following delays in the deployment of officials and election materials by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC). Many polling units also recorded poor voter participation throughout the exercise.
Despite the challenges, Governor Okpebholo, who cast his vote at Ward 2, Udomi Primary School in Esan Central Local Government Area, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election.
The governor, who arrived at his polling unit at about 10:24 a.m., said electoral officials and security personnel were already on the ground, while voting had commenced peacefully.
He maintained that reports reaching him from across the state indicated that the election was progressing without major security concerns.
“The election is very peaceful and it is going smoothly based on the feedback we are getting from the field.
“The turnout is very high. This is a demonstration of grassroots democracy. It shows that our people are interested in choosing those who will administer the affairs of their local governments. By the grace of God, a winner will emerge at the end of today’s election,” he said.
The governor urged residents to remain peaceful and await the official announcement of the results by EDSIEC.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate for Esan West Local Government Area, Hon. Blessing Ebhodaghe, acknowledged that voter turnout was lower than what is usually recorded during general elections.
Ebhodaghe, who is also the acting chairman of the local government council, however, commended residents who came out to vote despite the logistical challenges experienced in some areas.
He also alleged that many eligible voters were unable to participate in the election due to issues arising from the recent voter registration and Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection exercise, which he said disenfranchised a number of prospective voters.
The Edo local government election was conducted across the state’s 18 local government areas and 192 wards, with EDSIEC expected to announce the official results after the completion of voting and collation.
