On today’s (Saturday) governorship election in Edo State, there is heavy presence of security personnel in the Benin City office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) along Ramat Park.
The electoral umpire had moved back to its permanent office after vacating the premises to a rented apartment along Sapele Road as a result of flooding.
Two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) were stationed before and after the office while traffic is being diverted to follow one lane.
Gun-wielding policeman and soldiers were sighted on the premises.
Meanwhile, 14 political parties have presented candidates for Saturday’s election in the South-South state but the real contest is believed to be between Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Four years ago, Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu were the leading contestants in the election. But both candidates have since switched sides with Obaseki moving from the APC to the PDP – after he fell out with his political benefactor and former national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole – and Ize-Iyamu moving from the PDP to the APC
Though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that there are 2,210,534 registered to vote in the state, only 1,726,738 of them who have collected their permanent voters’ cards (PVC) are eligible to vote in today’s election.
Newsflash247 will be bringing you updates on the election as it happens from the 18 Local Government Areas, 192 Wards, and 2,627 polling units in the state.
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