Electorates in Edo State will on Saturday, September 19, 2020 go to the polls, to choose their governor for the next four years.

The battle of who emerges governor of the State is clearly between incumbent Governor, Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Pastor Ize-Iyamu has the backing of the former Governor of the State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who is the immediate past National Chairman of the APC.

There have been reports of violence and killings with continued clashes between supporters of the two leading political parties ahead of the Saturday’s election.

Follow this thread for updates of results and incidents from different polling units in the State.

Edo Decides: Obaseki blames INEC for poor preparation

The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has expressed disappointment over the conduct of the ongoing governorship election in the state.

Obaseki lamented that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was not prepared for the elections.

The governor spoke after waiting for over one hour on the queue before casting his vote at Polling Unit 19, Ward 4, Oredo Local Government Area, on Saturday.

He lamented the slow process, saying card readers were equally very slow.

Obaseki said INEC should have planned better for the ongoing election.

He said: “I expected that INEC would have prepared better for this election. I waited for one and half hour on the queue before exercising my franchise, it’s a bit disappointing.

“Giving that this is a sole day election, I expected better planning for this election.

“Card readers were very slow and that’s the situation everywhere.”

Edo election: Presiding officers, observer react to electoral process at Obaseki’s polling unit

Some Presiding Officers in the September governorship election in Edo State and an international Observer team, Centre for Strategic Conflict Management, have applauded the peaceful electoral process in Oredo Ward 4.

They gave the commendation on Saturday at the ongoing governorship election in Benin City.

NAN reports that Oredo Ward 4 is the voting point of Godwin Obaseki, the incumbent governor.

Jonathan Ayo, a presiding officer in the Ward 4 polling unit 25, praised the electorate for conducting themselves in an orderly manner and peacefully during accreditation and voting.

According to Ayo, the process so far has been smooth, with everything working well.

He said:” The card readers are working perfectly well today; we haven’t had any issue with the failure of the card reader today.

“The voters are conducting themselves very well too, and everything is going on smoothly, and we thank God for that.”

Blessing Mbagwu, another presiding officer in the ward, disclosed that everything was going on well as expected except for the aged people whose accreditation processes constituted a slight delay.Mbagwu said that the delay was based on the inability of the card readers to capture their thumbs.She said: “But outside that, everything is fine, with 10 seconds, we are done with reading the thumbs.”

Also reacting, Mr Ekperobe Bigman, an observer of the Centre for Strategic Conflict Management, lauded INEC over prompt distribution of electoral materials, both sensitive and non-sensitive ones.

Bigman said: “INEC has done its beat, and it’s quite commendable, the commencement of the exercise is also commendable, as you can see the large turnout of voters in the ward.

“On the part of security too, they are well on the ground to ensure peaceful polls.”

Edo Decides: Gov Obaseki casts his vote, after waiting for over one hour

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has voted after waiting for over one hour on the queue.

Obaseki voted alongside his wife at about 11.50 am at polling unit 19, Ward 04 in Oredo Local Government Area.

There was, however, confusion as fight later broke out between party supporters at the polling unit.

The clash was resolved about five minutes when the trouble-makers were led away by security agents.

Edo Decides 2020: Voting finally commences in Ward 1 as INEC replaces card readers [VIDEO]

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has finally replaced the card readers in Unit 9, Ward 1 in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.

Voting has also begun at the Unit.

DAILY POST earlier reported that voters were bitterly complaining as the card readers in this unit were not functioning.

Edo Decides 2020: I will win – Ize-Iyamu votes at Ugboko Ward

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Edo Governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, on Saturday, voted at Ugboko Ward 4, unit 26, Orhionmwon Local Government Council of the state.

NAN reports that Ize-Iyamu joined the queue at his polling unit at Iguododo Primary School at about 9:20 a.m and voted in less than 10 minutes.

He commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the peaceful and smooth electoral process.

“The process is good and going on smoothly; there is no thuggery and violence, the place is peaceful and calm. I am happy that INEC has a thermometer to check temperature and they also give out face masks to our people.”

The candidate said he had not been able to get information about the conduct of the election across the state due to the poor network at his voting community.

Ize-Iyamu also expressed optimism that he would emerge victorious in the election.

“I am confident of victory across the 18 LGAs of the state,” he declared.

Edo Decides: Voters scramble for cash as APC leaders allegedly share money [VIDEO]

Suspected All Progressives Congress, APC, leaders in Esan West Local Government Area, LGA, were on Saturday caught throwing money at some group of voters, mostly women.

Voters at polling units 9, 10, 11, in Ward 4, Esan West electorate were seen fighting over the cash.

DAILY POST understands that the money was brought in by party leaders as a way of swaying the voters to vote for the party.

However, their aim of buying votes at the units was unsuccessful.

Watch video…


Edo Decides: Voters lament as card readers fail [VIDEO]

Currently, in Ward 1, Unit 9 at Ugbogbo quarter, in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, LGA, electorate are eagerly waiting to cast their votes.

The voters are bitterly complaining as the card readers in this unit have not functioned for once.

Some of the voters who spoke with DAILY POST said they have pushed their complaints to the appropriate quarters
As at the time of filing this report, voters are still waiting patiently to cast their votes.

Watch video…

Edo Decides: APC, PDP youths clash over alleged money-sharing [Video]

Supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clashed Saturday morning in Edo.

It was alleged that some APC youths attempted to share money but were resisted by their PDP counterparts

The incident occurred at a polling unit in Oredo Local Government Area.

The footage of the incident shows members of the opposing camps rough handling one another.

Comments in the background suggest that the cause of the fight was money.

Only one policeman can be seen trying to control the situation.

Edo Decides: PDP accuses APC leader of hijacking election materials

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has alerted that some election materials have been hijacked in Edo State. The party raised the alarm via its Twitter handle.

PDP alleged that a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) perpetrated the act.

“In Ward 9, unit 15, Ego LGA, a leader of the @OfficialAPCNg in the LGA has hijacked electoral materials and moved the polling booth to his hotel called, “play house”.

“Voters are not allowed to enter the hotel except you are an APC member. @PoliceNg, take note”, the tweet read.

Accreditation is ongoing in many parts of the state.

Edo Decides: Voting commences [VIDEO]

Voting has commenced at Unit 1 Ward 2 in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, LGA.

Electorate are calmly casting their votes with no complaints recorded yet.

In this unit, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, are all on ground.

 

Edo Decides: Happening in Estako West, Oshiomhole, Shaibu, Audu’s LGA [VIDEO]

This is the current situation of things in Estako West Local Government Area where Adams Oshiomole, the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, hails from.

Oshiomhole shares the same LGA with the current Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu and the  Deputy Governorship candidate of the APC, Gani Audu.

The Local Government is the cynosure of all eyes in this contest.

Video…

Edo Decides: INEC displays voters register [Video/photos]

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has commenced the display of voters register at Ward 2, Unite 3, by Rest House Road Junction, Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.

The INEC staff on ground at APO 1,2,3 maintained the 8:30 am commencement of both accreditation and voting.