Below are live updates of the governorship elections in Edo state.

Voters, exercising their rights in Edo State

5:20pm:
Citizen Wolbum’s’ election results for Ward 6, Oredo LGA Sapele road,  Benin.   Unit 33 ACN 194;  PDP 16;  Unit 34: ACN, 199; PDP 13 , Unit 35 ACN 183; PDP 23 ; Unit 36: ACN 213; PDP 18 ,
Unit 37: ACN 188; PDP 11;  Unit 38: ACN 139; PDP 10;
5:10pm:  Tension in George Idah Primary School, Oredo LGA as youths threaten violence because of the refusal of the PDP AGENT IN Unit 4 to sign the result sheet. Meanwhile, ACN scored 388 to PDP’s 54.
Soldiers have been called in to help resolve the dispute. The PDP agent is said to be missing, but youths have mounted vigil that the PDP agent must sign to authenticate the result.
5:03pm:  Another result from Oredo: Unit 05, Ward 02 Oredo LGA: ACN 282, ANPP 4, PDP 55
4:55pm:  More results of Edo governorship elections:
ACN wins at Iguoshodin nigbemaba unit in Ovia North East LGA: ACN 232, PDP 5, ANPP 0
4 45pm : ACN wins at Unit 35 Ward 2, Uroma Primary Sch. GRA Oredo LGA: ACN 216, ANPP 2, PDP 18
4: 31pm: 3 police officers, INEC official feared dead as boat capsizes
4:30pm: ACN wins at Unit 4 Ward 2 Oredo LGA:  Result: ACN 388,ANPP 0, CPC 1, PDP 54
4:15 : Edo governorship Election results have  started trickling   in : Ward 2, UNIT 003 Ebenezer Primary School Ihama Road, Benin :  ACN 126,  ANPP 3,  PDP 24
3:10pm:  INEC says, a boat carrying Policemen,INEC officials and election materials was reported to have capsized at Ologbo riverine… as it seeks further information from the public on the incident.
2:45pm: In many polling centres, activists for the two major parties, ACN and PDP after casting their votes are waiting behind at the polling units, to as they claim, “Protect our votes”.
2:34pm:  Citizen reporters say there is fighting in Ikoha Polling Unit in Ugbogui ward, Ovia South West Local Government Area.
1.12 pm:  The strong man of Edo Chief Anthony Anenih cast his vote at about 1.12 pm at Uzenema Primary School, Uromi and described turnout as impressive. He said he would not make any comments until later.
1:00p.m., while voting had begun in some parts of the state, voters at the Oredo centre  had yet to be accredited and the Resident Electoral Commissioner , Mr Kassim Gaidam, moved in to deal with the issue.
12:52 pm:  Voting starts in UNIT 4 Ward 2 OREDO
12:45pm:  High turnout of prospective voters in Edo central senatorial zone. At Iruekpen, Ekpoma, Irrua and Uromi, accreditation was orderly and peaceful.
12 :15  At ward 2 Unit 7 Oredo LGA with Registration of 1350, as many as 400 names cannot be found on the INEC register.
12: 10pm : Voters heave a sigh of relief as the clouds lift up and those who ran for cover take their positions on the line in the polling units at George Idah Primary School, GRA, Benin
11: 25am:  Former Governor OSEHREINMEN Osunbor commends exercise, but urges that the judiciary should not truncate the mandate of the people.
11.45 a.m: Gov Adams Oshimhole  was accredited at Iyamo Ward 10, in Etsako East Local Government Area and voted shortly afterwards as he  expressed  disappointment at the conduct of the election by INEC.
11:37 am:  High turn out of voters but irregularity in the registers is disenfranchising many in Oredo LGA.
In Ward 2 Unit 07, Ebenezer Primary School, Ihama Road, GRA, Benin more than 400 names missing in the register that has 1350 names.
10:00am: Chief Tony Anenih, PDP Chieftain and former Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, was accredited at Uzenama Primary School Centre, Arue, Uromi, Etsako Northwest Local Government Area.
8:00am:  Accreditation of voters begins. Officials had no problems attending to the potential voters as they conducted themselves orderly by queuing up to be cleared for the exercise.

 

INEC has failed, cries Oshiomhole

INEC has failed, cries Oshiomhole

 

Edo state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole says INEC has failed in its responsibility to conduct a free poll in the state, warning of impending trouble if  the true winner of the polls is not declared.

The  governor who gave the warning today during an interview with newsmen at the Iyamho primary school, Iyamho, Etsako West Local Government Area said there can be no winner when the people are not allowed  to vote.

 “They plan not to bring out the voting materials on time and as we speak in Oredo Local government area, Benin City and Egor local government area, the heart of Benin City materials have not got to majority of the polling booths after 11 am and  at the  New Era college upper mission road, they brought fake voters register different from the one the people registererd,” he noted.

According to him “if accreditation is to stop by 12pm and by 11 am, it is after 11 am now, there are no materials  in some polling booths, it then means Prof. Atahiru Jega and INEC  have no plans to conduct election. The whole  idea is to frustrate the people so that they will not be able to vote, and they will declare a fake result.”

The governor maintained that  “Prof Jega and INEC have been an embarrassment to the nation. I am in shock with all the arrangements they have made sensitizing the people, and I told them, INEC need to be sensitized.  INEC is the weakest link in the Nigeria democratic chain. I have no faith in what INEC is doing in Benin City.

“This is designed for where majority of the people are denied the right to vote and this time around I have told them this country either decides on whether to move on or move back, I see sponsored editorials saying whatever  happens we will go to court, but today  we have to sort out the issues once and for all, “ the governor added.

Comrade Oshiomhole said he holds  Prof. Jega responsible for the failure of the election and for disenfranchising the people  as INEC has connived with the Peoples Democratic Party to involve in scientific rigging.

“They planned it and executed it this way. It is a shame that they have programmed this to embarrass the Nigeria nation. If INEC do not allow the people to vote and they pronounce the winner there will be trouble .

He said,  “fifty five percent of voters are in Edo South and forty percent in Benin City, and they think they can deprive the people the opportunity to vote.”

In his words, “ Prof. Jega has failed up because I wrote a petition that they are buying voters card. We will all go to court before God. They know that if it is two people remaining they will not vote for them”

Women waiting for INEC Officials At Ekpenede Primary School Ward in Benin during the Edo Governorship Election on Saturday (14/7/12).

Edo elections: Accreditation was peaceful, says Ikimi

Chief Tom Ikimi says accreditation was peaceful

Benin – Chief Tom Ikimi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, said on Saturday that the accreditation in Igueben for the Edo governorship election was peaceful and commended voters for turning out in large numbers.

Ikimi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Igueben shortly after being accredited that the number would have been more but alleged that some political parties bought off voters’ card from some people.

He added that the logistics put in place by INEC were in order while the materials and election officials arrived at the stipulated time.

“As you can see, accreditation has ended. The polling officials are preparing the ground for voting at 12.30 p.m. as stipulated by the law’’

NAN reports that food vendors and other hawkers also came out in large number at Ekpoma, Irrua and Uromi to make brisk businesses.

Political parties in the area provided canopies for voters.  Mr  Emmanuel Agbai told NAN that the canopy was a good idea as it would provide the much needed shelter for those who came to vote.

“I don’t know the providers but the idea is a good one.’’

NAN learnt that two major political parties in the state provided the canopies on the instruction of their leaders.

NAN also reports that markets were closed while major streets in the three local governments in Edo central were empty.

The vendors and hawkers were also present in Edo south. At Garrick Memorial Primary School, Ekpenede Primary School, Asoro Primary and Urhokpota Hall,  the presence of the traders was very conspicuous.

At Auchi in Estsako, Mrs Eunice Momoh in ward 10, Iyamo, said she had finished selling several bags of packaged water and that she has gone home to bring more.

Another petty trader, Hajia Abibatu Usman, said she sold all  the maize she came out with.

People were seen buying soft drinks, buns , ice cream, garden eggs, biscuits, sweets and recharge cards at the polling centers visited. (NAN)

We’re ready for Edo guber poll – Jega

Professor Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman

BENIN CITY— CHAIRMAN of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday, arrived Benin City, Edo State, for a stakeholders’ meeting ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in the state and assured Nigerians of the resolve of the commission to conduct a free, fair and credible election.

Jega who arrived Benin Airport at 3:15pm, also gave reasons why some civil society organisations were not accredited to monitor the poll, saying that those complaining that they were not accredited either did not meet the requirements of the commission or they failed to apply within the stipulated time.

Readiness of the Commission

On the readiness of the Commission to conduct a free and fair election in the state, Jega said “we are in Edo State in fulfillment to the promise  we made to Nigerians in general and the people of Edo State in particular to ensure free, fair and credible election.

He said: “We have been working day and night and we have been doing our best to ensure that there was indeed, a free, fair credible and peaceful election in Edo State. We have done everything possible based on the rules and regulations to promptly accredit observers for the election in the state. Our mission here is to ensure peaceful election. I am here to make sure that things were done as planned before the election on Saturday.

Meeting with stakeholders

“We are also to meet with the stakeholders because we normally do so. Before elections, we meet with stakeholders, brief them on our last minute preparations and if they have any last minute questions or complaints, we address them.”

Civil society groups

On why some civil society organisations in the state were not accredited, the INEC boss explained, “we had used the same procedures to accredit observers in all the elections we held in INEC since the April 2011 elections. We applied that criteria rigorously, we normally advertise and people are given time within which to apply.

“Any body who did not apply within the time allocated will not be considered and that was what  happened in this regard. We did not deliberately exclude any body, any body who had not been accredited to observe the Edo election or indeed all other elections, it was because they had not satisfied the requirements for accreditation for the elections. We heard stories being bandied about, that we did not accredit any Edo civil society organisation, that is false, we have accredited many Edo civil society organisations.

“But some did not meet the requirements, it is either they did not meet on time, or the criteria we set out, they did not meet it. Any body who did not comply with that criteria, we did not accredit. It is not the first time we are doing so. we have done it in all previous elections. We only accredit people who met the criteria we set for the elections,” he said.