Ighodalo, Okpebholo in tight race as INEC uploads results
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Asue Ighodalo, and his All Progressives Congress counterpart, Senator Monday Okpebholo, are in a tight race as the Independent National Electoral Commission uploads the results of Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC had uploaded 97 per cent of election results onto the Results Viewing portal.
Despite early morning rains, which delayed the arrival of materials at the polling units, the election witnessed a large turnout of voters across the state.
A preliminary analysis of election results so far uploaded on the IReV indicated that the APC candidate is leading in the Edo North Senatorial District, while the PDP candidate leads in the Edo South Senatorial District.
Edo State has a total of 18 Local Government Areas, divided into Edo North, Edo South and Edo Central. Traditionally, Edo North has always been the stronghold of the APC, while the PDP has always shown strength in Edo Central and Edo South.
However, in the last senatorial election, an APC candidate won the election in Edo Central.
Ighodalo, Okpebholo win polling units
The PDP and APC candidates won their polling units, while the LP candidate, Akpata, lost his polling unit.
At Ewohimi, Unit 11, Ward 1 in Esan South-East Local Government Area of the state, where PDP Ighodalo cast his ballot, he polled 200 votes, while APC Okpebholo had 45 votes.
However, the APC candidate floored his PDP counterpart at Unit 03, Ward 1, Uwessan in Esan Central Local Government Area of the state, where he (Okpebholo) cast his ballot. Okpebholo polled 102 votes, while both Ighodalo and the Labour Party candidate, Akpata, received one vote each.
The Edo APC leader, Oshiomhole, delivered his polling unit to the APC. At Iyamho, Ward 10, Unit 01 in Etsako West Local Government Area, where the former governor voted, the APC polled 403 votes, while the PDP and ADC each had one vote.
At Polling Unit 19, Ward 04 in the Oredo LGA where Obaseki cast his vote, the PDP polled 127 votes, APC had 35 votes, and LP got 11 votes.
Meanwhile, the LP candidate, Akpata, lost in his polling unit in Ward 6 of Oredo Local Government Area. He received only two votes, while the PDP polled 41 votes and the APC garnered 19.
Face off in strongholds
Calculations by Sunday PUNCH from the results uploaded on INEC IREV late Saturday evening indicated that Okpebholo and Ighodalo are in a tight race for victory.
In wards 1, 2, 4 and 6, which had a total of 43 polling units in Igueben LG, Ighodalo led with 2,778 votes, while Okpebholo polled 2,189 votes. In three wards in Ovia North-East LG, Okpebholo polled a total of 1,824 votes, while Ighodalo had 1,745 votes.
In six wards with a total of 60 polling units in the Ikpoba/Okha LG, Ighodalo led with 3,412 votes, followed by Okpebholo, who polled 1,232 votes.
In two wards with a total of 20 polling units in Oredo LG, Ighodalo led with 879 votes, while Okpebholo secured 538 votes.
In five wards and a total of 44 polling units in the Uhunmwode LG, Okpebholo led with 2,574 votes, but Ighodalo polled 2,172 votes.
From figures calculated in 103 polling units in the Esan Central LG, the APC led with 8,132 votes, while the PDP trailed with 6,902.
Figures calculated from 24 polling units in Owan West LG showed that Ighodalo had 1,979 votes, while Okpebholo secured 2,493.
In Ovia South West LG, the PDP garnered 871, while the APC had 972 out of the figures calculated from 17 polling units.
Also, from 13 polling units in Etsako East LG, Okpebholo led with 2,421 votes, followed by Ighodalo who scored 968 votes.
Figures from five wards and 10 polling units each from Esan West LGA showed that Okpebholo polled 4,105 votes, Ighodalo had 3,264 votes and Akpata had 41 votes.
In 151 polling units in 11 wards in the Owan West LGA, Ighodalo led with 26,870 votes, Okpebholo had 11,211 and Akpata had 184 votes.
In five polling units in two wards in Egor LG, Ighodalo led with 385 votes, while Okpebholo had 313 votes.
As of 11pm on Saturday, the final results collation had yet to begin at the INEC state collation centre in Benin.
Parties trade blame
Though the election was violence-free, there were reports of open inducement of voters with cash and food items by agents of the various political parties.
The security agencies made some arrests while the leading parties were locked in a war of words over the development.
The PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, alleged electoral fraud and accused the APC of vote-buying, while also lamenting the alleged oppression of their supporters by the police.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP alleged massive fraud.
The party called for the cancellation of the election result in the affected polling unit and urged authorities to address the reported infraction.
Also speaking to reporters after casting his vote in his ward, the PDP candidate, Ighodalo, decried delayed voting, saying INEC did not justify the claim that it was prepared for the poll.
“I am not happy with the process that delayed the delivery of the materials. This is a single-state election. INEC had all the time to prepare. We are not comfortable with the little shenanigans that are going on. There are rumours that some people in the opposition are trying to undermine the election process.
“The worst is that they go round trying to buy votes. They buy votes for N15,000 to N20,000. They are trying everything to subvert the process,” Ighodalo said.
He, however, expressed confidence that he would win the poll despite the obstacles.
“The kind of numbers I am hearing from Edo North, Edo Central, and Edo South overwhelms me. You know, in Nigeria, funny things happen. I don’t know the magic anybody wants to perform.
“I believe INEC to deliver free and fair election until they prove otherwise. We will win hands down in this election,” he added.
Similarly, the deputy governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Prince Asamah Kadiri, alleged vote-buying, pointing accusing fingers at the APC.
Kadiri made the allegation after casting his vote at Ward 1, Unit 6 in Estako West Local Government Area of the state.
He said, “It is sad that the APC is engaging in vote-buying in my unit and the reports available to me across Auchi and the Edo North district show that the APC is buying votes for N10,000.”
The LP chieftain, however, commended “some courageous voters” who turned down the monetary offer and insisted on voting for the party of their choice.
Kadiri also commended INEC’s performance in the conduct of the poll.
But in a swift reaction, the leader of the APC in Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomole, denied the allegation that his party was involved in vote-buying.
Speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote at Iyamho, Ward 10 Unit 01 in the Estako West Local Government Area of Edo State, the former governor described the exercise as peaceful.
“It is laughable when I hear this kind of allegation. You have been told but did you see anywhere where they are sharing money? People turned out in large numbers to vote for us because they wanted good government. During our campaign people came out to see me, not because I wanted to give them something but because of what I have done for them while I was in the office as the governor.
“All structures that I have put in place 12, 13 years ago are still there but the ones put up by the present administration, in one year, they are washed off. So our people have seen the difference. Some people do tell me that since I left the government, they haven’t seen the real presence of government in their communities,” Oshiomhole said.
On his part, the APC candidate, Okpebholo, expressed satisfaction with the electoral process.
Okpebholo, who voted at Polling Unit 003, Uwessan 1, Esan Central local government, praised INEC for the conduct of the poll, saying, “What I am seeing here is testimony that INEC is getting it right.”
He boasted that the PDP and other parties would not get a single vote in his polling unit.
“PDP or whatever will not get one vote here because this is my home and my people love me,” he said.
The candidate of the Labour Party, Olumide Akpata, also described the process as satisfactory.
Speaking after casting his vote at Polling Unit 11, Ward 6 in Oredo Local Government Area, Akpata said, “I voted according to the voting process and everything went well. I want to hope that this is the experience of every Edo voter. I cannot make assumptions standing here. I will wait for feedback from around the different units and 192 wards in the state. We are hopeful that this will be the experience of every Edo voter.”
He called on INEC to avoid bias, saying, “Nobody should be given any undue advantage.”
Vote-buying
Vote-buying featured prominently in Saturday’s polls, with the major parties striving to outdo one another.
Despite the rain, voters trooped out to cast their votes, a situation that the political parties capitalised on to sway them with monetary and food offers.
Vote-buying was particularly pronounced in the Edo Central Senatorial District, where Ighodalo and Okpebholo hail from.
Edo North was also turned into a theatre of vote-buying with the major parties striving to outdo one another.
Saturday PUNCH reported last week that ahead of the poll, the major parties were amassing “war chests” in a desperate bid to compromise voters.
A highly credible source said the Edo poll could set a new record for vote-buying in the history of elections in the country.
“A vote could go as high as between N15,000 and N20,000. There are plans by agents of some of the parties to mop up voter cards. How they intend to use the cards is what nobody knows. This is why the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission are being deployed for the election,” the source added.
Our correspondents reported that Edo Central Senatorial District with five LGs recorded a large turnout of voters, a situation the parties tried to capitalise on to secure votes.
The voters, including the elderly, defied the early morning rain to cast their votes, despite the delayed arrival of electoral materials owing to the rain.
Our correspondents, who went around the district, observed that party agents and supporters jostled to outwit one another as they lobbied voters with various amounts of money and food items, in order to sway voters for their preferred candidates.
At Unit 9, Boot 9 Dumontan Polling Unit in Irrua, Esan LGA, voting commenced at about 9:20 am with a few voters casting their votes in an orderly manner as directed by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
However, incidents of vote-buying were recorded as a middle-aged man was seen sharing about N2,000 each to every voter after casting their ballots.
The money was presented to the voters after enquiring from them which party they voted for.
Similarly, at Ward 5, Polling Units 1-6 in Ewuare Primary School, Irrua, Esan LGA, it took the arrival of EFCC officials to halt the sharing of money.
Before the arrival of the EFCC’s officials, various major political parties were seen sharing different amounts of money, including food items to voters.
As the voting was going on, party agents and supporters were seen lobbying voters with cash and food items.
Similarly, at Ward 3 in Ewulomi Primary School in Igueben LGA, vote-buying was recorded as agents and supporters of two major political parties lobbied voters with money and other material things.
At the three polling units visited near the Ogboji area in Irrua and Alli Square in Ekpoma centres, it was a similar case of massive vote-buying to the delight of the voters.
‘I rejected their money’
Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, a 75-year-old voter, Helen Titus, confirmed voters’ inducement with money but said she rejected the money offered her on principle.
“I did not collect any money from anybody, but I saw them sharing money to some people. I won’t blame those collecting (money); there is massive hunger in the country. Foodstuffs that we used to buy very cheaply in the past are no longer within the reach of the common people.
“I came here and I voted my conscience. At my age, what else am I looking for? Why should I collect money and vote against my wish? I only want to see a state that works again with the people’s welfare taken care of,” the septuagenarian said.
In Edo North, the monetary offer began at N2,000, increased to N5,000 and eventually went up to N12,000, with party agents seen lobbying voters to vote for their particular candidates.
However, the arrival of EFCC officials at about 12:05pm momentarily halted the vote-buying as the party officials stopped sharing the money.
The EFCC’s officials, who went around the vicinity, carried out an inspection for about 30 minutes before leaving the scene.
At Idia College in Benin, a woman was heard saying she was allegedly given N2,000 to vote for one of the candidates in the election.
At the same voting area, some youths were heard talking about “bringing the list” though it could not be ascertained what they were referring to.
In one of the polling units on Akenzua Street, Sunday PUNCH gathered that some individuals gave food to voters who had just cast their votes.
The EFCC had said it was deploying 100 operatives in Edo to forestall vote-buying. On Saturday, some of the culprits involved in vote-buying were arrested, while the major parties were locked in a war of words.
EFCC operatives arrested a suspected vote buyer at Ward 7, Egor Local Government Area, Edo South Senatorial District.
The unidentified suspect was taken away by operatives of the anti-graft agency.
Police arrest vote-buyers, thugs
The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement, said a total of eight persons were arrested by the police for vote-buying.
Adejobi said two of the suspects, Emotingham Godspower and Farawei Isaac, were key members of the PDP.
He identified others as Suleiman Abdurahim, Fatima Yakubu, Yusuf Aminat, Salihu Lukman and Safianu Saratu, who were arrested at Aibotse Secondary School, beside Meremu Hotel, Auchi.
He said the suspects were arrested with an undisclosed sum of money, a cache of weapons, pre-filled ballot papers and a detailed plan outlining strategies for voters.
“In yet another comprehensive operation, police operatives conducted synchronised raids on identified black spots on September 20, 2024, at approximately 1900hrs.
“The well-coordinated effort led to the arrest of two key suspects, who are members of the PDP, Emotingham Godspower (25) and Farawei Isaac (27), both from Ufunama community, Ovia South West LGA, Edo state.
“The suspects, connected to a larger network involving one ‘Atiku’ and a kingpin known as ‘the boss’, were apprehended at So Cash Guest House in Ekpoma, where a substantial amount of cash and incriminating items were recovered,” Adejobi said.
The police also confirmed the arrest of two suspected political thugs, Edwin Obanor, 43; and and Audu Tajudeen, 41.
According to the police, the suspects were PDP members from Ugbogbo quarters, Igara Akoko, Edo.
In a statement on Saturday, the Force spokesman described the arrest as a significant breakthrough in the efforts by the police to curb electoral violence in the state.
He said, “Acting on a tip-off that some individuals had been armed to cause mayhem during the election on Saturday, the police operatives swung into action and apprehended Obanor, a leader of an armed group, at Oredo Ward 4 at about 9 pm and Audu Tajudeen at Igara Akoko, Edo, on the eve of the election.
“Upon searching the bags in their possession, three cut-to-size locally-fabricated pistols were discovered on Obanor, while one locally-made gun was recovered from Tajudeen.”
