Massive security, movement restriction
The governorship election in Edo begins peacefully with impressive voters’ turnout in most wards across the state, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Although the situation does not suggest the likelihood of violence, there is massive security presence in cities, town and villages.
With total compliance with restriction movement across the state, the processes of making the election peaceful and credible is uninterrupted.
Major streets, especially in Benin, don’t witness the usual traffic as the residents move to their respective polling stations for accreditation.
Also reports from other areas of Edo, such as Uzzebba, Igueben, Auchi, Ososo, Ekpoma, Jattu and Ughoton, among other towns and villages, say there is impressive turnout and orderly situation. Edo has 193 wards with 18 local government areas.
In most polling units, security operatives arrived in their duty points to enforce restriction on movement of people and vehicles during election.
FRSC certifies 496 vehicles to convey electoral materials, personnel
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says 496 vehicles have been certified to convey electoral materials and personnel for the Edo 2020 election.
The Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Asst. Corps Marshall Bisi Kazeem who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja added that all the certified vehicles were for effective monitoring during and after the election.
Kazeem noted that 108 staff of the command had been deployed to be involved directly in the election process, including those on duty to ensure restriction of movement on the roads.
The FRSC Education Officer also said that FRSC personnel were deployed to assist in crowd control, while others would be stationed at polling units.
He noted that the deployment of officers and men for the election was decentralized, adding that the Unit Commanders were directed to meet their various Areas Commanders for the deployment.
According to him, a total of 496 vehicles were certified today by the Operatives of FRSC. The breakdown is as follows:
“RS 5.1 Edo (69), RS 5.11 Auchi (45), RS 5.12 Tollgate (75), RS 5.13 Iruekpen (105),RS 5.14 Igarra (20), RS 5.15 Sapele (40), RS 516 Owan Isigie (62), RS 5.17 Uromi (50), RS 5.1A Abudu (30).
“in all, 108 staff of the command have been deployed.
“Two personnel are representing the command in the Joint Operations Room, while the command situation room for the election has been set up, with a Superintendent Route Commander, supported by a Routs Commander.
“Ambulances are also on alert for quick response, in case of any eventuality in the course of the exercise,” he said.
Kazeem expressed satisfaction with the security arrangement made to protect the lives and property of all the people during the exercise, including corps personnel.
He said that corps personnel had been given all necessary training in the election process.
Kazeem, however, called on all FRSC staff to conduct themselves orderly and shun all acts of corruption and indiscipline.
Massive turnout
As Edo elects its governor, a large turnout of voters has been reported across all polling units in Esan West Local Government Area of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that most of the voters arrived the various polling units before officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Some of the polling units visited by NAN correspondent included those in Ward 6 (Ogbomoide Primary School) with polling units 6, 7 & 8, and polling units 3, 4 & 5 (Central Primary School) all in Iruekpen, Esan West.
Others included polling Unit 2 in Ward 5 (Uhunmudumu Primary School) in Ekpoma which has six voting points.
Accreditation of voters and voting commenced on scheduled at these polling units.
NAN also learnt that electoral materials and officials arrived on time at the polling units.
Security personnel were visible in all the polling units visited.
Also at the polling units were Policemen as well as personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
No face masks, no voting
Presiding Officers in the Edo governorship election have said that no electorate will be allowed to vote without wearing a face mask in compliance with the COVID-19 safety protocols.
They also insist on adherence to social distancing as provided in the guidelines for the conduct of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Mr Oyesanmi Ezekiel, the presiding officer at Central Primary School, Iruekpen, told the eligible voters to wear face masks before voting in units 3, 4 and 5 at Iruekpen.
As part of efforts to ensure compliance with social distancing, Ezekiel marked out areas that the electorate could stand before being allowed to vote.
He told NAN that as part of effort to stem against the spread of Covid-19 virus, INEC provided them with infrared thermometers, medicated spirit and hand sanitiser.
“The medicated spirit will be used to clean the card reader as well as fingers of each voters before voting,” he said.
The situation, however, was not the same at Ward 5 Uniit 2, where voters did not observe INEC guidelines on social distancing for the poll.
But in Emaudo Ward 4, Unit 14, Esan West Local Government, both voters and INEC officials complied with the protocols.
Hawkers of face masks used the no face masks no voting to make quick money across the various polling units visited.
The face masks sellers who sell each mask for N100, witnessed high patronage from voters who came without one.
Ize-Iyamu commends conduct of election
Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Edo Governorship election on Saturday, Sept. 19 cast his vote at Ugboko ward 4, unit 26, Orhionmwon Local Government Council of the state at about 9: 25 a.m.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Ize-Iyamu joined the queue at his polling unit located at Iguododo Primary school at about 9:20a.m. before casting his vote at about 9: 25a.m.
Speaking to journalists after exercising his franchise, Ize-Iyamu commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the peaceful and smooth electoral process.
He also commended INEC for adhering to the COVID-19 protocol.
“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.
“We encourage our people to come out in batches so they can strictly adhere to the COVID-19 protocols of social distances”.
He 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.
He expressed optimism that he would emerge victorious in the election saying, “I am confident of victory across the 18 LGAs of the State”.
NAN reports that accreditation and voting commenced simultaneously at Ugboko ward 5, unit 26 at about 8: 46 a.m. amidst the presence of security personnel.
Obaseki queues up to vote
The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, on Saturday followed the prescribed electoral process by standing on the queue to be accredited, before casting his vote.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obaseki arrived his Oredo Ward 4 Polling Unit at Emokpae Model Primary School, Benin City at about 10:25am.
Mr Church Haris, a voter at the Governor’s Polling Unit in Oredo Ward 4 commended the governor for following the election procedure.
“I was amazed that he took a position on the queue.
“He surprised many voters in this ward. We are proud of him,’’ he said.
Rita Osahon, who also voted at the polling unit, similarly commended the governor for staying on the queue to cast his vote.
Sylvester Okoduwa, an official of the Transition Monitoring Group, an election NGO, commended the peaceful commencement of the electoral process in the Edo state capital.
He said the election had started on a peaceful note and the voters wore their face masks, observed the social distancing rule, and also washed their hands in compliance to the COVID-19 protocols.
Edo is voting to elect a governor to run its state affairs for the next four years.
The state has a total of 2, 210,534 registered voters in 18 local government areas with 192 wards.
Card readers fail in Esan West, Central
The Card Readers provided for the Edo Governorship election to authenticate fingerprints of voters in Esan West and Esan Central Local Government Areas of Edo on Saturday failed to recognise some voters.
Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who monitored the election in the areas, report that while the Card Readers easily identified the voter cards, they failed to authenticate their fingerprints.
This abnormally was noticeable at the polling units in Ward 5 (Uhunmudumu Primary School), and units 14, 15 and 16 (Emado Primary School) in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area.
The same was applicable in units 5 and 6, Ward 6 (Idumebo Primary School), in Esan Central Local Government Area.
However, NAN reports that the voters were still allowed to vote after the cases were incidented on INEC form after which the voters were made to thumb print in the form.
Meanwhile, Mr Victor Edoro, a politician in the area and an ex-commissioner in Edo, Mr Gideon Obhakhan, have described the exercise as impressive.
They described the voting process as peaceful and orderly, with compliance to COVID-19 Pandemic containment protocols.
Edoro, who voted at his voting centre in Idumebo Primary School, Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area, described the voting process as “peaceful and hitch free.”
European Centre decries non-compliance to COVID-19 protocols
The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), on Saturday said voters in Ologbosere primary school, ward 4 with 40 units and other polling units they visited were not observing the COVID-19 guidelines as stipulated in the INEC policy.
Mr Wilson Manji, the deputy project coordinator, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that although the voters were all wearing face masks but they did not maintain social distancing.
“So far the election is going smoothly and calm. We are at Ologbosere primary in Ikpoba-Okha local government area of the state.
“So far everything is peaceful and calm here. Just that the INEC staff just arrived at about 10a.m. and accreditation and voting started at about 10.30a.m. instead of 8.30a.m,” he said.
According to him, the polling officers came with hand sanitisers and thermometers to check the temperature of every voter.
On his part, the Head, INEC Voter Education and Publicity, Timidi Wariowei, told newsmen at INEC office in Benin that most of the polling units and voting points started voting at 8.30a.m.
“But we are aware that there are some few isolated cases that started 9.a.m. or after 9.a.m. because of some issues they needed to sort out.
“From the reports we are getting, almost all the polling units have started voting,” he said.
Wariowei, however, said he observed that the voters were all wearing face masks but did not maintain social distancing.
According to Wariowei, before I left the polling units I visited, I educated the people on the need to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 regulations by maintaining social distancing for the safety of all.
