A former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has lamented that card readers are not working at some polling units in Saturday’s Edo governorship election.
He said this after casting his vote at polling unit 01, Ward 10 in Uzairue northeast, Etsako West Local Government Area.
The former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, however, warned the Independent National Electoral Commission not to compromise.
Addressing journalists, he said, “Since 1999, this is the highest turnout that I have seen. Elderly women and men turned out impressively.
“The turnout showed that people have shown that they are ready for democracy. My only disappointment so far is that the machine is not working.
“The INEC officials have reported but they have not brought a new machine.
“This exercise is supposed to have a closing time. If they are doing this in my ward, it means that somebody wants to remove the number of voters here. But I have told them (voters) to stay here, they have a right to vote.
“Nobody should come here and be unable to vote because of INEC’s failure.
“I cannot believe that this is an ordinary error because before bringing the machine here, you should have tested it. I pray that INEC should be able to regularise them (the machines).”
At least 12 out of the 18 local government areas of Edo State will play a decisive role in Saturday’s (today) governorship poll as incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki, who is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, clashes with the leading opposition All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Although 14 parties fielded candidates for the poll, observers have argued that the election would be a two-horse race between the PDP and the APC.
According to analysis by Saturday PUNCH, the 12 battleground local government areas are Egor, Ikpoba/Okha, Oredo, Ovia North-East, Ovia South-West and Uhunmwode.
Others are Akoko Edo, Owan West, Owan East, Etsako East, Etsako West and Etsako Central.
Six out of the 12 battleground LGAs are located in the Edo South Senatorial District where both the incumbent and the leading opposition candidate hail from.
Interestingly, the Edo South Senatorial District has the highest number of voters totalling 1,281,414 votes, according to the figures released by the Independent National Electoral Commission. This represents about 74 per cent of the entire voting populace which INEC put at 1,726,738.
Further findings revealed that the remaining six battleground LGAs are located in the Edo North Senatorial District where the immediate past Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, and the state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, hail from. The deputy governorship candidate of the APC, Gani Audu, also hails from Edo North
PUNCH
