In Major Victory, Obaseki Leads in Edo Guber Poll
•With over 60% results in, his lead seems insurmmountable
•Edo gov, main challenger, Oshiomhole, Shaibu, Akerele deliver polling units
•Election peaceful despite skirmishes
Nseobong Okon-Ekong, Chuks Okocha, Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
In a major upset, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki, may have done the seemingly impossible. The results of the election so far released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reflects a pattern that might be indicative of the outcome of yesterday’s fiercely contested governorship election.
As Obaseki very early yesterday opened what appears to be an insurmmountable lead over his rival and main challenger, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osagie Ize-Iyamu, with well over 60 per cent of the results published by INEC on its result portal.
The electoral commission, as at 4.46am this morning had released results of 1,858 polling units’ out of the 2,627 in the state and the APC candidate was clearly trailing in many of the polling units state wide.
Polling units’ results from seven local government areas of Igueben, Esan Central, Esan North-east, Esan South-east, Akoko Edo, Ikpoba Okha and Owan East, gave Obaseki an early advantage over his main rival, APC’s Ize-Iyamu.
According to tally of results on INEC portal, in Igueben, the incumbent, who is seeking re-election, polled 7,870 votes, while his main rival garnered 5,199 votes. In Esan central, Obaseki secured 10,964 votes while Ize-Iyamu trailed with 6,719 votes, and in Esan North-east, the PDP candidate polled 13,579 votes, leaving his APC counterpart with 6,559 votes.
In Akoko Edo, APC made a good showing by leading the PDP in 38 polling units with 6,289 while the ruling party trailed with 5,441 votes. In Esan South-east, PDP has 10,565 and APC, 9,237. Also, in Ikpoba Okha, the PDP polled 41,030, while the APC had 18,218. In Owan East, APC polled 19,295, while the PDP had 14,762.
At press time, the total votes of the candidates in the seven local governments left the PDP with healthy margin over the APC .
However, contrary to some of the many doomsday predictions, yesterday’s governorship election turned out a peaceful, free and fair exercise as Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu fought to the finish.
This is as INEC has begun to collate results in other local government areas of the state, with either of the two leading parties boasting strengths and advantages in their respective strongholds.
A majority of the political actors in the state, also delivered their areas, including Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu, Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu; former governor Adams Oshiomhole and former Chief of Staff to Obaseki, Taiwo Akerele, who had defected to the APC in the thick of the crisis that characterised the countdown to the election.
National Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmud Waziri, who spoke on some of the challenges allegedly encountered at the start of voting said in some places, said, “I haven’t heard reports of people being allowed to vote without facemasks.
“However, we will pay particular attention to situations, where some people give out facemasks with particular colours apparently to achieve a partisan end.
“We have gotten reports about Ward 9, Unit 15 in Egor LGA, where it was alleged that electoral materials were hijacked and taken to a hotel called ‘Playhouse’. I have gotten in touch with the Pop CE to salvage the situation so that even though it is called ‘Playhouse’, that they do not play with our materials,” he said.
