As residents of Edo State head to the polls today, the three main political parties have expressed their readiness for the election.
With over 2.2 million permanent voter cards collected, candidates of the parties —Senator Monday Okpebholo (All Progressives Congress), Asue Ighodalo (Peoples Democratic Party), and Olumide Akpata (Labour Party)— are hoping to get the highest number of votes.
The winner will occupy Osadebe House, the government house, which will be vacated on November 11 by the incumbent, Governor Godwin Obaseki, who has served two tenures.
The Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Peter Uwadiae, stated that his party was ready for the election.
He said, “Our campaign shows our readiness. We have done that which the law allows us to do and our campaign was issue-based. As a party, I can confirm that we are ready. Our fear is that one of the persons who killed the police officer at the Benin Airport is roaming freely and we hear he is in Edo Central mobilising for trouble and distorting the election, while other PDP leaders are also doing the same in Edo South.”
While expressing readiness for the election, the Deputy Director General of Media for the Asue/Ighodalo campaign, Dr Pedro Obaseki, voiced concerns that the process could be hijacked by thugs.