As of 8:30 am, voting had commenced at Eguare Primary School, Ward 2, Ujogba, in Esan West Local Government Area.
Personnel from the Nigeria Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were stationed at the voting centers.
Speaking after casting his ballot, a septuagenarian, Pa Robert Aiguekhagbon, commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of the voting exercise.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to sustain the peaceful process and appealed to those who had not yet voted to continue conducting themselves peacefully.
Police arrest armed political thugs
The police said they have apprehended political thugs and seized firearms during overnight operations in Edo State where the governorship election will be holding today, Saturday.
The police also pledged to tackle illegal weapons holders and disruptors of the electoral process in the state.
Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, made this known in a statement on Friday night, displaying some of the recovered firearms.
He gave the names of the arrested alleged political thugs as 43-year-old Edwin Obanor, and Audu Tajudeen, a 41-year-old PDP member from Ugbogbo quarters, Igara Akoko, Edo
“The Nigeria Police Force has made a significant breakthrough in its efforts to curb electoral violence in Edo State with the arrest of two political thugs, namely: Edwin Obanor, 43-year-old and Audu Tajudeen, a 41-year-old PDP member from Ugbogbo quarters, Igara Akoko, Edo,” the statement said.
The new governor will take over from Governor Godwin Obaseki who will step aside after the expiration of his 8 years administration.
Edo Decides: PDP, APC, Labour Party, others battle for the ‘Heartbeat of The Nation’
Residents of Edo State will head to the polls today for the off-cycle elections to elect their next governor.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, hopes to reclaim power in the state following Governor Obaseki’s decamp to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, back in 2019.
Edo was an APC stronghold before the crisis that emanated in the party forced Obaseki to dump the national ruling party to the main opposition.
In Edo, come Saturday, the electorate will vote for a new state leader as Governor Obaseki exits office after his two constitutional terms.
