Edo LG Polls Free, Fair, Says Obaseki as APC, LP Describe Process as Charade
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has commended the state Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) for the smooth conduct of the local government election.
Obaseki gave the commendation after casting his vote at Ward 4, Unit 19, in Emokpae Model Primary School, Oredo Local Government Area of the state.
However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP) in the state have described the exercise as a charade.
The governor arrived at his polling unit at about 1.48p.m. and voted at exactly 1.51p.m.
Addressing journalists after casting his vote, Obaseki said he was impressed with the turnout of voters across the state.
“The turnout was very impressive in spite of the rain. There was quite considerable turnout and it showed the interest in the local government election. This means that the political parties did well by going round sensitising and mobilising the electorates and the people,” Obaseki explained.
He added: “The process has been smooth and peaceful as a lot of people are still hanging around to see the end and conclusion of voting. I am very impressed by what has happened as the organisation by EDSIEC has gone fairly well. You have so many people still here at almost the closing of the poll, which shows that we have a fairly decent turnout.
“I have been getting updates from across the state and this seems to be the trend all over. I have not received any report of violence yet and pray everything goes smoothly.”
Also speaking from Jattu, in Etsako Local Government Area of the state, the state deputy governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu, described the poll as peaceful, calm and the most-important of all the elections.
According to Shaibu, the local government elections are the most important to the people because it is the only election that affects the people directly at the grassroots.
Shaibu, accompanied by his wife, spoke with journalists shortly after casting his vote at his polling unit in Ward 12, Azama Primary School, Jattu.
He said he was happy that the process went well as planned without hitches.
However, the opposition APC and their LP have criticised the exercise just as the LP even protested to the premises of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) where the party complained about the undersupply of electoral materials.
LP described the election process as a charade.
The APC state Chairman, Col. David Imuse (rtd), who spoke on phone from Ekpoma, said: “This election is a scam; it is a charade. They brought insufficient ballot papers but no single result sheets. How can you conduct an election when there is no result sheet? It is happening right in the entire Edo Central senatorial district. I am calling from Ekpoma; the same thing is happening in Esan North East, Esan West – everywhere here; no result sheets and I don’t see how an election can take place without result sheets.”
Speaking to journalists, the LP chairmanship candidate for Ikpoba-Okha LG, Macido Osamudiame Eghaghe, said at ward 10 and 11, and other areas, the EDSIEC brought only 100 ballot papers to the voting centre, alleging that when the people protested, they were shot at and harassed by the state-sponsored security operatives.
Also, at the Oredo local government, the LP Chairmanship candidate, Daniel-Ero Onaghise, expressed displeasure about the election process, saying in most wards in the locality, election material came either late or none was seen at all.
He said he was disenfranchised because election materials did not arrive in his Oredo ward 6 as at 2:00pm.
Both Eghaghe and Onaghise called for a change of the constitution to mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to take over the conduct of local government elections, adding that the state electoral commissions lack the confidence to handle local government polls.
The local government election took place in the 192 Wards across the 18 LGAs in the state.
The ex chairmen and councillors ended their three-year tenure mid-2021.
