Seven parties will be participating in election’ Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has said there will be no restriction of movement during tomorrow’s local government election in the 18 councils. He assured commuters transiting through the state of safe passage.
Obaseki spoke yesterday at the Government House, Benin, while briefing reporters after the state’s security council meeting.
He assured residents of security before, during and after the election, urging the electorate to come out en masse to cast their votes for their preferred candidates.
The governor said Edo would be peaceful, noting that security agencies were on ground to protect the electorate.
Police Commissioner Muhammad Dankwara said security agencies were prepared for the election.
He added: “We are on the same page with our sister security agencies. Surely, the poll will be very peaceful.”
The Chairman of Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), Justice James Oyomire (rtd.), said the electorate would be expected to vote for 18 council chairmen and 192 councillors in the poll, which would take place in 4,519 polling units across the state.
He was briefing reporters on the level of preparation for the election.
He said arrangements had been concluded to ensure the deployment/movement of electoral materials to the polling units.
Justice Oyomire said there were 18 registered parties in Nigeria, but only 11 invited EDSIEC to monitor their primaries, with forms given to them, while only seven submitted their forms before the deadline.
He said the parties that would participate in the election included Accord Party (AP), African Action Congress (AAC), Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
