By Ogochukwu Isioma in Benin City
There is overwhelming voter apathy across the various polling units in Edo State as the State House of Assembly election is currently ongoing across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
Some of the polling units and wards visited by this Reporter in Benin City, the state capital, show very low voter turnout compared to what was obtainable during the February 25 general elections.
Some voters who spoke to metrowatchxtra.com Edo State correspondent, blamed the outcome of the February 25, 2023 presidential and national assembly elections for the low voter turn out.
metrowatchxtra.com reports that Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress was declared winner of the election. He defeated his closest rivals – Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of Labour Party – to be declared winner.
A female voter at the Oluku primary school in Ovia North East local government area, who gave her name as Madam Peace, told this Reporter that she reluctantly came out to vote after much pressure from her neighbour.
The voter, who claimed to be a supporter of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, claimed that votes of the LP standard bearer’s supporter did not count in the last poll even though Obi won Edo with a Landslide.
“My brother, our votes no dey count, we vote Obi last time but them no still give the man, them carry am give their person, I only come out because Obi say make we come vote Labour again,” madam peace told this Reporter in Pidgin English.
Party agents disagree
Similarly, an agent of the Labour Party in Egor local government area, who gave his name simply as Dickson, blamed lost of confidence in INEC to conduct a free, fair and credible election for the low voter turn out.
But, his Peoples Democratic Party counterpart in Ikpoba Okha local government area, who scored INEC high over the conduct of the exercise, expressed confidence that candidates of the party will emerge victorious despite the low voter turn out.
All Progressives Congress agent in Oredo local government area, who gave his name as Destiny, blamed the low turn out on electoral violence which claimed at least two lives during the February 25 presidential and national assembly elections.
INEC ad-hoc Staff express high hope
Speaking with metrowatchxtra.com, an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Ugbowo told this Reporter off-camera that it remains unclear why voters are not coming out, en-mass.
The female official at the Ovia North East local government area polling unit, near UNIBEN, told this Reporter who is monitoring the exercise that INEC staff are, however, hopeful that voters would still come out.
“Though we didn’t come out very early compared to the last(February 25) election, but we hope that they(voters) will still come out, let’s see even though time is far spent already,” the official said.
Obaseki blames heavy security presence
However, the Edo state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki blamed heavy presence of security agencies across the various polling units in the state for low turn out of voters.
He spoke while addressing journalists immediately after casting his vote during the ongoing House of Assembly election in the state at his Oredo local government area ward, in Benin City.
Obaseki said, “This is not the set of turnout we find or get in elections in this center. Clearly the extreme security measures that have been taken should be relaxed.
“As you can see, there is a total lockdown of the city which is not allowing people to come out to exercise their franchise.”
As at the time of filing this report early Saturday afternoon, the situation is still same at other polling units in Benin City as voters were very scanty, leaving polling unit officers and other INEC staff to idle.
