By: Eben Enasco Kingsley
The Edo State House of Assembly Polls held in all the 18 Local Government Areas of the State was conducted under tight security with low turnout of participants cut across board.
Voting materials arrive the entire LGA’s between 7:30am and 8:00am, with accreditations of voters immediately commences. However, in some quarters, tension marred various polling unit with card readers earlier encountering problems due to alleged network failure; but subsequently, picking up as election proceedings continued.
The tension across political parties was traced to victory of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during the senatorial election over the state ruling party, All Progressive Congress party, APC; particularly in Orhionmwon LGA, where apprehension was more as some member of each political jig nut try to outsmart one another to victory.
The battle to who controls the political terrain took apprehensive dimension between the camp of the deputy governor Dr. Puis Odubu and PDP bigwig, Pastor Ize-Iyamu complaining that manipulated results and fake voters’ card were being circulated across the units.
By and large, the handful mayhem encountered could not put an hurt to voters casting their votes at press time unofficial results that trickled in had All Progressive Congress leading and winning majority of the seats in all the constituencies
In Oredo, Egor and Ikpba-Okha LGA’s, it was very peaceful whilst electorate voted and patiently waited for votes counted in their wards. As at press report, APC dominated most results announced at polling units by returning officers.
At Orhionmwon precisely in ward 5, Ugboko Units 27 and 28, at about 11am, there was a clash between PDP and APC Youths after a former Minister of State for works, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi alleged that a PDP leader in the ward has confiscated over 40 PVC belonging to some persons.
But however, the PDP supported refuted the allegations and insisted he should go to his unit, asserting that he was not supposed to be at the Unit which they said it was not his voting centre. In the same view, APC supporters also countered stressing that a chieftain of PDP in the state, Pastor Ize – Iyamu who was not supposed to be there.
In Edo Central, report filed in BY OUR CORRESPONDENT says that suspected electoral violators invaded some polling units in Ewohimi and Opoji, and carted away ballot boxes.
Meanwhile, Governor Adams Oshiomhole stated that the election witnessed a low turnout of voters, while casting his vote in his home town Iyamho ward 10 at about 3: 10pm but they lamented also failure of the card reader in some areas while urging INEC to fish out the bad eggs truncating the efforts of the electoral commission in the state. As at press time results were been collated by independent electoral commission, INEC, at various centers
