Governor Monday Okpebholo has described voter turnout in Saturday’s local government elections in Edo State as encouraging, while accredited election observers commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of the exercise across the state.
The governor made the remarks shortly after casting his vote at Ward 2, Udomi Primary School, in Esan Central Local Government Area, where voting commenced early with electoral officials and security personnel present.
Governor Okpebholo arrived at his polling unit at about 10:24 a.m., joined other voters in the queue and cast his ballot at approximately 10:40 a.m. After interacting with stakeholders, he told journalists that reports from across the state indicated that the election was progressing peacefully.
“This election is very peaceful and it is going smoothly based on the feedback we are getting from the field,” the governor said.
“The turnout is very high. This is a demonstration of grassroots democracy. It shows that our people are interested in choosing those who will administer the affairs of their local governments. By the grace of God, a winner will emerge at the end of today’s election.”
He urged residents to maintain the peaceful atmosphere throughout the voting process and advised them to await the official declaration of results by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC).
Accredited election observers also gave a favourable assessment of the exercise.
Speaking with journalists in Udomi, the Executive Director of the Initiative for Awareness of Civic Education for Citizens, Comrade Fidelis Nwoke, said observer groups deployed across the state had not recorded any major security breaches or disruptions.
According to Nwoke, his organisation and other accredited observer groups monitored polling units in Udomi, Igueben and other locations, where the election was generally peaceful.
“My organisation and several other observer groups have been fully accredited to monitor the Edo State local government election. Reports coming in from different parts of the state indicate that the process has been peaceful so far,” he said.
“We have monitored Udomi, Igueben and other locations. We have observed that the exercise has been peaceful, orderly and smooth. Electoral officials arrived, voters have been able to cast their ballots and, at the end of the exercise, winners and losers will naturally emerge.”
Journalists covering the election observed the presence of security personnel at polling centres, while voters queued peacefully to cast their ballots.
At Udomi Primary School, where the governor voted, some residents expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election, describing the process as orderly and transparent.
Three voters—Christopher Ejodamen, Timothy Uwaya and Lucky Okoawo—said they were able to exercise their franchise without intimidation or harassment.
The voters said the peaceful atmosphere encouraged greater participation and demonstrated residents’ commitment to grassroots democracy. They also expressed support for Governor Okpebholo’s administration, citing ongoing infrastructure projects and other development initiatives as factors that motivated many people to participate in the election.
The local government election was conducted across the 18 local government areas of Edo State to elect chairmen and councillors. The exercise was supervised by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), with accredited observers, journalists and security agencies deployed to monitor the process.
As voting continued in several parts of the state, election observers expressed optimism that the peaceful atmosphere recorded during the early stages of the exercise would be sustained through the conclusion of voting and the announcement of results.
The information was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor, Dr. Patrick Akhere Ebojele, on Saturday.
