By USMAN ALIYU
The highly anticipated off-cycle election for the governorship seat of Edo came up on Saturday with 17 candidates jostling to occupy the Government House at the Osadebey avenue in Benin.
There are, however, three major candidates in the race, who are Sen. Monday Okpebholo of the APC, Mr. Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party and Mr Asue Ighodalo of the PDP.
Both APC and tbe PDP picked their candidates from Edo Central, a senatorial zone that had been agitating for the governorship position overtime, while candidate of Labour Party is from Edo South, the same senatorial with Gov. Godwin Obaseki.
Okpebholo is currently representing Edo Central at the Senate; while Akpata, a lawyer is a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Ighodalo, also a lawyer and banker, is a business tycoon and erstwhile chairman of Sterling Bank Plc.
Voting process commenced in most voting units in the state except for Edo Central where a heavy downpour delayed the take off of the exercise in a pocket of units.
A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who monitored the election at Okaegben, Ewohimi in the Esan South East Local Government of the state reports that voting did not start until 11am.
The rain, which began at 6:30a.m in the community, the hometown of the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, went unabated until 9am.
The situation was, however, different in Benin where voting took off early with an impressive turnout of voters amidst a tight security.
The exercise, according to reports from the three senatorial zones, showed that the election was largely peaceful and voting was seamlessly.
The APC candidate, Okpebholo in an interview, shortly after he voted at the unit 03, Ward 1, Uwessan in the Esan Central Local Government of the state, lauded the process.
Okpebholo boasted that he would coast to a landslide victory in the election.
“What I’m seeing here is like a testimony that INEC is getting it right,” he remarked.
On security arrangements for the poll, the senator dismissed complaints that heavy security presence was intimidating.
“I know that everything they are saying is about security, that is hyping the situation.
“I mean nothing is happening. You can see! Nobody is fighting. No knockout, no stick of matches. So it’s just to scare people away from voting,” he said.
The Labour Party candidate, Akpata, who voted at the unit 11, Ward 6 at Oredo Local Government, also shared the same sentiment.
“I voted according to the voting process and everything went well.
“I want to hope that this is the experience of every Edo voter. I cannot make assumptions standing here.
“I am going to wait for feedback from around the different units and 192 wards in the state.
“We are hopeful that this will be the experience of every Edo voter.
“I am calling on INEC that the playing field should remain level. Nobody should be given any undue advantage,” Akpata said.
Similarly, the PDP candidate, Ighodalo after he eventually cast his vote, commended the military for ensuring safety.
“I commend the military for their role; they’ve demonstrated professionalism. I’m proud of them,” he said.
The gubernatorial candidate, however, faulted the delay in the arrival of voting materials in his unit.
“INEC had ample time and resources, yet we experienced delays.
“In spite of this, Ighodalo noted that voters remained peaceful and patient.
“The people have resolved not to be intimidated; they’re waiting patiently to cast their votes,” he said.
He added that initial reports indicated that the PDP was performing well, and he was confident of winning.
Meanwhile, there was heavy presence of security agents with roadblocks in strategic areas across the state.
Scores of travellers, who intended to pass through Edo to other neighbouring states, were all stuck as military men barricaded the border roads.
This development led to the build up of traffic on routes like Agbor-Igueben-Uromi expressway, Benin-Ifon-Akure road and Benin-Ore road, amongst others.
A voter, Sunday Igeh told NAN that the presence of security made him came out as that showed that any violent activity by desperate politicians could be checked.
Interestingly, the election unprecedentedly witnessed a large turn-out of senior citizens as well as the Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).
One of the aged, who voted at Ewohimi, Mr Honda Ikehide, 91, noted that he had grown enough to appreciate what’s important in life.
“I have lived long enough to know when something important is happening. Today, we are standing with our own,” Ikehinde said, referring to Ighodalo.
Similarly, Mr Wilson Bello shared, “It is a great day for us. Our people are united, especially our elderly, who understood the significance of this moment.
“Ewohimi has never seen this level of participation by our elderly population, and it is because we believe in the capacity and vision of our son, who is one of us.”
Despite the peaceful nature of the exercise, Police in a pre-emptive strike arrested two suspected thugs with firearms in a raid conducted on the eve of the election day.
ACP Mujiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, in a statement, said that the operatives of the force acted on a tip-off to apprehend the suspects from Ugbogbo quarters in Igara Akoko area of the state.
As at the time of this wrap up, results were being collated in many units while voting continued in those places where the exercise started late.
ALIYU is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
