Edo Election: What Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu Said After Casting Their Votes

The two major contenders in the ongoing Edo governorship election – Governor Godwin Obaseki and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu – have expressed conflicting views about the exercise after casting their votes at their different polling units on Saturday.

Ize-Iyamu, who is the candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), expressed satisfaction with the voting process.

He said, “The process is good and going on smoothly; there is no thuggery and violence, the place is peaceful and calm.

“I am happy that INEC has a thermometer to check the temperature and they also give out face masks to our people. “We encourage our people to come out in batches so they can strictly adhere to the Covid-19 protocols of social distances.”

The incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Godwin Obaseki, however, complained about the delays he faced before voting at his polling unit 19, ward 04, in Oredo LGA.

Obaseki said he, “expected that INEC would have prepared better for this election. I waited for one and half hours on the queue before exercising my franchise, it’s a beat disappointing. “Giving that this is a sole day election, I expected a better planning for this election. Card readers were very slow and that’s the situation everywhere.”

THE WHISTLER earlier reported that Obaseki’s deputy, Philip Shaibu, had expressed satisfaction with the voting process at his polling unit 5, Ward 11 Jattu, in Etsako West LGA, Edo North Senatorial District.

Shaibu had said, “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.”