Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has expressed satisfaction with the turnout of voters in Saturday’s local government elections, describing participation across the State as impressive.
The Governor said reports from different parts of Edo indicated that the exercise was peaceful and progressing without major disruptions.
Okpebholo spoke shortly after casting his vote at Ward 2, Udomi Primary School in Esan Central Local Government Area, where electoral officials and security personnel arrived early to commence the exercise.
The Governor voted at exactly 10:40 a.m. after arriving at his polling unit at about 10:24 a.m. and joining other voters in the queue.
Commending residents for their orderly conduct, he said feedback from across the State showed the election was proceeding smoothly.
“This election is very peaceful, and it is going smoothly based on the feedback we are getting from the field,” he 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.”
Okpebholo urged residents to remain peaceful throughout the voting process and wait for the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) to officially announce the results.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Initiative for Awareness of Civic Education for Citizens, Fidelis Nwoke, said election observers deployed across Edo State had not recorded any major security incidents or disruption.
“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,” Nwoke 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.”
Security personnel were deployed across polling units, while voters queued peacefully to cast their ballots.
Some voters said the calm atmosphere encouraged greater participation and reflected the people’s commitment to strengthening grassroots democracy.
Others expressed support for the Okpebholo administration, saying ongoing infrastructure projects and development initiatives across the State motivated many residents to participate in the election.
Saturday’s local government election was conducted across all 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 monitoring the process.
As voting continued in several parts of the State, observers expressed optimism that the peaceful atmosphere witnessed during the early stages of the election would be sustained through the announcement of the results.
