Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and a former National Chairman of the governing All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, have both criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the electoral body’s handling of the state’s governorship election.
Obaseki was disappointed with faulty card readers and said he expected better planning and preparation from INEC, given that the poll was the only election conducted on the day.
The governor voiced his dissatisfaction over the conduct of the election after casting his vote at Polling Unit 19, Ward 4 in Oredo Local Government Area at 11:47am.
“I expected better preparation on the part of those saddled with the responsibility to conduct this election. To wait for one and a half hours on the queue before exercising my franchise is a bit disappointing.
“The card reader here is functioning slowly, and this is the situation in all the major voting centres in Oredo Local Government Area of the state as I speak.
“At Garrick Memorial School, I understand that over 500 voters are already stranded because they can’t vote due to the slow processing of the card reader.
“One would have expected INEC to deploy more card readers in high density polling centres,” Obaseki said.
Meanwhile, Oshiomhole, shortly after he cast his vote, told journalists he was impressed with the progress of the election but also criticized the conduct of INEC.
“INEC is the only bad egg as most card readers are not functioning properly, thereby slowing down the process,” he said.
Oshiomhole commended the efforts of security operatives and praised the electorate for maintaining calm and order in the course of the voting process.
Oshiomhole, who is also a former governor of Edo State is staunchly in support of APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, against the incumbent Governor Obaseki, who rode to victory under the APC’s banner four years ago, but decamped to the opposition PDP after he was disqualified in the APC primaries.