- Election commenced late in some local government areas in Edo State
- This led to INEC extending the voting time in these regions
- Anxiety remains high as Nigerians anticipate who would win the election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced an extension of the voting period in the ongoing Edo State governorship election.
In a statement released on Saturday, September 21, Mohammed Haruna, INEC’s National Commissioner and member of the Information and Voter Education Committee, explained that the extension would apply to polling units where voting commenced late.
According to the statement, the extension will ensure that all eligible voters present at polling stations by 2:30 pm will be able to cast their ballots.
“The Commission continues to monitor the ongoing governorship election in Edo State from our situation room at the National Headquarters in Abuja,” Haruna stated.
He noted that while polling started early in many locations, there were also reports of delays in some areas. To avoid disenfranchisement, INEC will extend voting hours at affected polling units, allowing everyone who was in the queue by 2:30 pm to vote.
Haruna also assured the public that INEC’s office in Edo State has taken measures to ensure uninterrupted power supply at polling units or collation centres affected by any delays. hadBackup generators would be deployed as necessary to ensure the smooth continuation of the election process.
The governorship election in Edo State is being closely monitored to ensure fairness and transparency and influential people, including Davido, have voiced out their reservations about the Edo elections.
EdoDecides 2024: Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata loses his polling unit to PDP’s Asue Ighodalo
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party flagbearer in the Edo State governorship election, lost his polling unit to Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In the results from Polling Unit 11, Ward 06, Oredo Local Government Area, Benin City, Ighodalo secured 41 votes to defeat Akpata, the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), who garnered 32 votes. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, came in third with 19 votes.
