VOTING has commenced in Edo State as the state elects a new governor today, Saturday, September 22, 2024.
The ICIR reporter on the ground in the Uromi area of the state reports that accreditation and voting began at Ward 1, Unit 3, Egere Primary School, where there are 615 registered voters at 8:30 am.
Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Asue Ighodalo, and the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo, are from the area.
Similarly, at Ward 3, Unit 2, Eroh Primary School, with 730 registered voters, The ICIR observed that only a few voters were available with rain pounding the area in the early hours.
Some voters were seen with umbrellas to avoid being drenched.
Similarly, voting commenced at 8:30 am at Ward 2, Unit 6, IVUE Primary School, Uromi. The unit has 1,178 registered voters. A long queue was building up at the polling unit before 9 am.
At Ward 2, Unit 6, IVUE Primary School, also in Uromi, the elderly were given priority in accreditation, and voting commenced at 8:30 am.
Other polling units in the town, including Ward 2, Unit 7, Ward 2, Unit 8, and IVUE Primary School had officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the ground as of 8:am, and voting commenced as scheduled.
The situation was also the same at Unit 1, Ward 2; Ward 2, Unit 3; Ward 2, Unit 4; Ward 2, and Unit 5, all in Obeidu Primary School.
The ICIR reports that the exercise also commenced as scheduled at Ward 5, Unit 4; and Ward 5, Unit 5, Otoruwa 1, Eguare Primary School, Otoruwo 1, Esan Central Local Government Area.
The ICIR reports that 17 political parties are competing for votes in the poll, with three candidates – the PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, APC’s Monday Okpebholo, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) – leading the race.
There are approximately 2.63 million registered voters but only 2.25 million of these have collected their permanent voter’s card (PVC), making them eligible to vote, according to data from INEC)
By this, the election in Edo would be determined by only 85.57 per cent of registered voters casting their ballot in 4,519 polling units across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2022. Contact him via email @ [email protected].