By Daniel Peters
Over 2.2 million registered voters in Edo State are going to the polls today, Saturday, to elect their next governor.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reports that 2,249,780 individuals, accounting for 85.57 percent of the 2,629,025 total registered voters, have collected their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) for the Guber poll.
Meanwhile, 379,245 PVCs remain uncollected. In comparison, during the last governorship election in 2020, only 557,443 of the 2.2 million registered voters showed up for accreditation, and 550,242 ultimately cast their ballots.
As election day unfolds, tensions run high across the state, fueled by a charged atmosphere of political rhetoric and sporadic reports of violence. Law enforcement agencies are taking no chances. The Nigeria Police has deployed 35,000 officers, while the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) sent an additional 6,433 personnel to ensure security. The military, also mandated by the presidency to guarantee a free and fair election, stands ready to intervene if necessary.
This mirrors the security measures taken during the 2020 election, with authorities pledging to act impartially and swiftly against any attempts to compromise the election’s credibility. Despite these assurances, apprehension continues to grip many parts of the state.
In preparation for the election, INEC began distributing sensitive materials on Thursday, including 5,000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems (BVAS) to facilitate a seamless voting process across the state’s 4,519 polling units and 211 collation centers. These include 192 wards, 18 local government collation centers, and the state collation center in Benin City, the state capital.
Additionally, INEC has deployed 18,076 ad-hoc staff to oversee the conduct of the election, ensuring that the process runs efficiently across all designated voting areas.
With all these preparations made, the race for the governorship is in full swing, as candidates from the major political parties vie for victory. Asue Ighodalo representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party are all aiming to secure the majority of votes in what promises to be a closely contested election.
The eventual winner is expected to take over from Godwin Obaseki, on November 11, having completed his two terms in office.
