Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu casting his vote at Iguododo Primary School,Orhionmwon local government area of Edo state.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole has expressed hope that Edo people are ready to celebrate democracy, stressing that the process has been calm and orderly.
He stated this while addressing journalists after casting his vote at Iyamho Primary School, ward 10 Unit 2.
The Governor who noted that it may be too early to begin to make comments on the process, hinted that reports reaching him from Edo Central said that thugs suspected to be sponsored by PDP had snatched the card readers.
According to him “the report reaching us from the Onojie of Opoji said PDP thugs have snatched the card readers in order to disrupt the process. So, we are dealing with that because the people have a right to vote and the right cannot be compromised and INEC has a duty. It is not negotiable to ensure that the people of Opoji has a right to vote.”
Oshiomhole, who frowned at the security lapse that resulted in the problem, noted that “I don’t know how that happened, we are supposed to have enough security in every polling units and if you have security in every polling units and some rascals and hoodlums can still come and carry the card reader, then it raises a lot of problems.
The governor also alleged security lapses at Emu and Esan South East, accusing a former member of the Edo House of Assembly of firing at the voting public in an attempt to disrupt the process. “We have also received report that a former member of the Edo State House of Assembly at Emu in Esan South East has been shooting at the voting public. Because he saw that the people are not voting for PDP, he opened fire and he was shooting at the voters”, adding that he has drawn the attention of Police to the issue, while commending INEC for introducing the new process of voting immediately after accreditation.
