By OUR REPORTERS
The Edo State Governorship election, after much ado about candidate disqualification, House of Assembly stalemate, defections and all others that came with the obviously avoidable dangerous politicking, finally came to pass on Saturday September 19, 2020 as scheduled.
Among 14 candidates standing to be considered for the singularly elective office of the governor are two most visible namely the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
In our responsibility of feeding our wider reading public with truth and nothing but that, we have decided to keep to the rule of the game by not reporting any results until such come from the constitutionally assigned authority, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to do so. As our sources from scene of events brought in their reports as they were released in bits, we can now comfortably say take the results to our credit.
Out of 12 Local Governments’ results officially announced so far by INEC, PDP’s Obaseki leads in 10 while APC’s Ize-Iyamu leads in 2. Happy reading:
Result: Etsako West (as announced by INEC)
APC – 26,140
PDP – 17,959
Result: Ovia North-East (as announced by INEC)
APC – 9,907
PDP – 16,987
Result: Esan South-East (as announced by INEC)
APC – 9,237
PDP – 10,565
Result: Owan West (as announced by INEC)
APC – 11,193
PDP – 11,485
Result: Owan East (as announced by INEC)
APC – 19,295
PDP – 14,762
Result: Egor (as announced by INEC)
APC – 10,202
PDP – 27,621
Result: Uhunmwonde (as announced by INEC)
APC – 5,972
PDP – 10,022
Result: Ikpoba Okha (as announced by INEC)
APC – 18,218
PDP – 41,030
Result: Esan Central (as corrected by the officer)
APC – 6,719
PDP – 10,794
Result: Esan Central (as announced by INEC)
APC – 6,719
PDP – 10,694
Result: Esan North-East (as announced by INEC)
APC – 6556
PDP – 13,579
6:09 – The election materials for Ward 8, Unit 3, were snatched and voting couldn’t take place, says the returning officer for Igueben Local Government.
Result: Igueben LG (as announced by INEC)
APC – 5199
PDP – 7870
6:04 – Ten local government results are already available. Igueben local government will first be announced.
5:55: INEC’s Collation Committee is set to announce the official results of the election from all local governments. Party agents are also present at the meeting.
Updates upward (Sunday September 2020, 2020)
More reaction: The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the governorship election in Edo State.
Mustapha said, against popular predictions, the election was quite peaceful except for few and isolated skirmishes.
“Nigeria has disappointed those who predicted massive disruption. The elections went well but for few hiccups, ” said Mustapha as he monitored early returns from the field.
He said the INEC did fairly well and could improve on its performance.
Reaction: Sokoto State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s governors forum, Dr. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has urged all those involved in the conduct of the Edo State election to play by the rules and allow the wishes of the Edo people to be expressed through the ballot.
Reaction: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that there are plots by agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to replace election results where the PDP is leading, particularly in Edo North.
17:16 – Vote counting is still ongoing across the state as results from wards begin to trickle in.
16:20 – APC Candidate, Ize-Iyamu, has also reportedly won his polling unit.
According to our reporter, Collins Ossai, the election result at Unit 26, Ward 5, Iguododo village, Orhiomwon LGA came to:
Void votes – 9
PDP – 21
APC – 292
Report: Mixed reactions have trailed the ongoing electoral exercise in Edo state. While PDP Candidate has faulted INEC’s card readers and crowd control, APC Candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, says he has no complaints.
15:26 – Sorting of ballot has commenced at ward 5, unit 26, Iguododo, Orhiomwon LGA.
15:25 – Sorting and counting of ballot papers is now ongoing at Obaseki’s polling unit – Polling Unit 19 Ward 4, Oredo LGA
15:23 – Police DIG Leye Oyebade rates security high in the Edo governorship election, in an interview with our reporter.
14:50 – Sorting and counting of ballots has begun at unit 1 ward 11 Jattu Etsako West LGA
14:10 – At Egor ward 9, there was a huge turnout of voters and the voting process was smooth and timely, our reporter, Osazee Obazee, says.
“It is interesting here because this polling center is out on a street, which doesn’t happen often; in Benin City, polling centres are usually sited within a school compound.”
13:20: ‘Card Readers Were Very Slow’: Shocked Obaseki Faults INEC
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki on Saturday said he was “surprised” and “shocked” at the slowness of card readers, after he cast his vote in the Governorship poll being held in the state.
He said it is sad that such a glitch is being experienced after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had given assurances that such problems would be avoided.
Mr Obaseki is standing for re-election with the candidate of the APC, Osagie Ize-Iyamu his closest challenger.
