By Rasheed Lateef
Voting commenced peacefully in Saturday’s local government election in Edo, with accredited election observers reporting orderly conduct in polling units visited across parts of the state.
The election, being conducted by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), is expected to produce chairmen and councillors for the state’s 18 local government areas.
Gov. Monday Okpebholo cast his vote at Ward 2, Udomi Primary School, in Esan Central Local Government Area, where electoral officials and security personnel were on duty.
Speaking with journalists after voting, the governor described the turnout as encouraging and expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the exercise.
He urged residents to remain law-abiding throughout the election and await the official announcement of results by EDSIEC.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Initiative for Awareness of Civic Education for Citizens, Fidelis Nwoke, said reports received by his organisation from accredited observers indicated that voting had been peaceful in the areas monitored.
Nwoke said observer teams deployed to Udomi, Igueben and other locations reported that electoral officials arrived at polling units on schedule and that voters were able to cast their ballots without major disruption.
He expressed optimism that the peaceful atmosphere would be sustained until the conclusion of voting and the collation of results.
Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who monitored the exercise in parts of the state, observed the presence of security personnel at polling units, while voters queued to cast their ballots in an orderly manner.
Some voters at Udomi Primary School also described the exercise as peaceful, saying they voted without intimidation or harassment.
The election is being monitored by accredited observers, journalists and security agencies, while the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission is expected to announce the results at the conclusion of the exercise
