Edo Election: Obaseki’s Deputy Says Shooting, Ballot Box Snatching Not Possible With Security Deployment

The deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has said it would be impossible for political thugs to snatch ballot boxes or shoot at voters with the level of security agents deployed to the state to monitor the ongoing governorship election.

Shaibu said this after voting at his unit 5 Ward 11 Jattu, Etsako West LGA in Edo North Senatorial District.

The deputy governor also expressed satisfaction with the level of the voting process at his polling unit.

“I would say I am happy here, because I am on ground here and I am seeing what is happening here. Other areas, I can’t speak for them. But I want to say the level of deployment of security is also accounting for this peace and I pray that the level of deployment I see around is the same it is all over the state,” he told reporters.

“And if that is it, it means that those that planned to be snatching ballot boxes and shooting guns may not have a chance to do that,” he said.

Asked if he’s received reports of malfunctioning card readers in alleged strongholds of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Shaibu said: “Well I have not gotten any report about that, and if I get report about that, obviously I will call the attention of the authorities that are responsible because all the card readers…we have been promised by INEC that they been tested and that they have back up. So, if they have backup, obviously if one malfunctions, the other ones should be able to augment for the ones that malfunctioned.”

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Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on media, Crusoe Osagie, had accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of manipulating the ongoing election barely few hours into the poll.

Osagie had said, “Suddenly card readers are not working in areas where Governor Godwin Obaseki is very popular,” adding that,” voters are being disenfranchised. We are constrained to say that this is sabotage.”

The governor’s aide noted that, “Specifically, in Oredo Ward 1, Unit 20 and other places where the governor is clearly popular, the card readers are not working.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should prove to Edo voters that it can conduct a credible election in Edo State,” he said.

THE WHISTLER could not independently verify the claims made by Osagie.