The ongoing Edo gubernatorial 2020 election has so far generated reactions from different angles, as the drama which has been going on for a while reaches its climax today in the state. The two major gubernatorial candidates jostling for the number one seat in the state, the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki of the PDP and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the APC are not left out.
The aspirants after casting their ballots respectively seems to have divergent opinions about the ongoing electoral exercise. While fielding questions from newsmen, the optimistic Ize-Iyamu commended INEC for a job well-done in his own view. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who casted his vote at Iguododdo , unit 26, ward Orhionmwon Local Government Council of the state at about 9: 25 am said;
Obaseki on his part, has expressed his displeasure over the electoral conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) in the ongoing Edo gubernatorial election. Obaseki after casting his vote at polling unit 19, ward 4, Oredo local government area of the state, was quoted saying;
“I expected that INEC would have prepared better for this election. I waited for one and half hours on the queue before exercising my franchise, it’s a bit disappointing, giving that this is a sole day election, I expected a better planning for this election. Card readers were very slow and that’s the situation everywhere.”
Governor Obaseki’s reaction is coming after the pandemonium at his polling unit amongst aggrieved party supporters. It was also gathered that there was protest against alleged vote-buying at Emokpae Model Primary on Mission Road.
There were also reported cases of card readers malfunctioning at Esan West and Central Local Government Areas on Saturday. 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.
However, observers have argued that the election will definitely end up as a two horse race between the PDP and the APC, despite the fact that 14 political parties fielded candidates in total. It is left to the people of Edo state are however left to decide whoever takes the baton for the next four years in the state.
