After many months of intense campaigns and preparations, electorates in Edo State are currently casting their votes at polling stations to elect the next Governor of Edo State.
No fewer than 19 male governorship candidates, 15 male running mates and four female running mates representing 19 political parties are jostling for the governorship position.
The guber poll has been tagged a two horse race between the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Godwin Obaseki.
Reports from our correspondent on the ground in Edo state informed that there have been massive turn out of voters to exercise their franchise. In fact, residents are said to have started trooping out to polling booths as early as 6:30am.
An INEC adhoc staff told voters in Benin that after accreditation voters are allowed to vote immediately. He added that, “voting starts by 8 am and stops at 2pm. Those who are in the queue when it’s 2pm will be allowed to cast their votes.”
Our findings reveal that while voting has commenced in some centres, accreditation is still going on in some polling stations as at 12noon.
Meanwhile, with few hours into the voting exercise already, there have reports of electoral malpractices at various centres.
WuzupNaija brings to you some of the incidents that voters are reporting on social media that INEC officials and security operatives are beng confronted with at polling units:
1. Malfunctioning of card readers due to poor network.
2. Fake election monitors at polling centres
3. Some party agents dolling out cash to voters
4. Snatching of ballot box at one polling unit reported at at 12:40pm
5. Armed policemen demanding and collecting money from travellers who are trapped along the ever-busy Benin-Ore expressway.
6. Reports of violence by thugs at some polling units
7. Reports of INEC officials compromised at some voting centres
8. Fighting between APC and PDP agents in some centres
9. Late arrival of voting materials at some polling centres
10. Intimidation and molestation of voters by security operatives and political thugs.
We hope INEC and security authorities would take appropriate actions o the above incidents to ensure that at the end of the day we have a peaceful, free and fair election in Edo State.
