By Kamil Opeyemi
The All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party (LP) have called for the cancellation of the local government election held in Edo state on Saturday.
The parties complained of a deliberate undersupply of electoral materials in most of the polling centres.
Speaking while LP supporters protested, Daniel-Ero Onaghise Onaghise said he was displeased with the exercise.
“I want to express my displeasure on this exercise. We had a series of stakeholders’ meetings, at a point, they said BIVAs and card readers would be used but towards the election, they jettisoned that, they said there would be restrictions on movements but two days before the election the governor announced that there will not be restriction of movement so at that point, we started suspecting but EDSIEC assured that everything will be fine.
“Today, it took more than six hours for materials to arrive, EDSIEC staff were not seen. I am the LP candidate for Oredo but as I speak to you, I can’t vote because there are no materials people have been waiting for since 7 o’clock. I discredit the process and I call for the cancellation of the exercise, it is so painful that I have not been able to vote for myself.”
Also speaking, the state chairman of the APC, Col (Dr) David Imuse (rtd) 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.”
Governor Godwin Obaseki after voting in his polling unit at Emokpae Primary School however said the exercise was a good one.
He said his party the ruling Peoples Democratic Party was fully mobilised for the election.
Speaking shortly after he voted, Obaseki said “The turnout was very impressive in spite of the rain. There was quite a considerable turnout and it showed interest in the local government election. This means that the political parties did well by going around sensitizing and mobilizing the electorates and the people.
“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.”
On complaints that materials did not arrive on time in some areas, he said “I believe that voting time will be extended and allow more people to vote, I am sure that EDSIEC will extend the time for voting I’m sure voting time will be extended instead of allowing voting to end at 2.30 pm. I’m sure they will extend and allow citizens and voters to exercise their franchise.”
On expected outcome, he said “I think EDSIEC has done well, I will expect that popular candidates will win but don’t forget that the PDP went full out to campaign for this election, I don’t know how much the other parties mobilized but I know that PDP fully mobilized in most of the state.
“I expect that you will find some opposition here and there but I know Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) went all out to mobilise for this election and I don’t know of other political parties,” he noted.