- The Edo electorate heads to the polls to decide who will be the state's next governor
- In an interesting twist of event, Labour Party candidate Olumide Akpata lost his polling unit to the PDP's Ighodalo
- Akpata further called on the electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to meet the people's expectations
As Edo State decides who will be its next governor, Olumide Akpata, SAN and the Labour Party flagbearer in the Edo State governorship election, has 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.
The September 21 off-cycle election has seen Akpata call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure fairness and transparency throughout the electoral process. Expressing optimism, he emphasized the importance of a peaceful and credible election for all voters in the state.
After casting his vote, Akpata said, "I was given my ballot paper, went to the booth, thumb printed, and dropped it in the ballot box. Everything went well. I hope this is the experience of every Edo voter. I will wait for feedback from all the wards and polling units."
The Labour Party candidate also urged INEC to maintain a level playing field and allow all party agents unhindered access to the collation centers to observe the electoral process.
"Nobody should be hindered or prevented from entering the collation center so that we can all witness the process and confirm it was carried out as prescribed by law—the Electoral Act and the Constitution," he stated.
Akpata noted that as this is the only gubernatorial election taking place in the country, INEC has the resources and attention needed to ensure a credible process.
"They have the luxury of deploying their resources to this state... All eyes are on them; the entire country is watching INEC," he added.
On the issue of security, Akpata expressed cautious optimism about the massive deployment of security personnel across the state but raised concerns about potential bias. He highlighted the presence of two APC trucks parked outside the residence of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, stating that such a sight was "cause for concern."
As the electoral process unfolds, Akpata remains hopeful that INEC and security forces will conduct the election in a transparent and impartial manner, ensuring the credibility of the results.
Edo Election: APC refuses peace accord, blames Obaseki, Police
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) declared it would not participate in the Peace Accord just under two hours before the signing for the September 21 Edo governorship election.
Speaking at a press conference at the party secretariat, Emperor Jarret Tenebe, the APC Edo State chairman, cited several reasons for their refusal to sign the accord on Thursday, September 21.
