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The governorship candidate of the Action
Congress in Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, has called for the
cancellation of Saturday‘s elections in Edo State.
Oshiomhole, who spoke on the telephone, told
Sunday Punch that where elections went on well, agents of the Peoples
Democratic Party, aided by policemen, soldiers and officials of the
Independent National Electoral Commission stole ballot boxes, making the
entire exercise meaningless. He lamented that the electoral malpractice had
made nonsense of the Federal Government’s war against corruption.
”This is the height of corruption. The
situation is very bad. No election at all in Akoko Edo, no election in
Etsako Central. There was snatching of ballot boxes in Etsako West, where
voting took place. They have been going from place to place snatching
ballot boxes. They do it in company with the army and police. But on the
other hand, we saw a happy people coming out to vote. But all that has come
to naught,” he said.
Also, the President of the Benin National
Congress, Mr. Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo, said the turnout of events was very
unfortunate and undemocratic. He lamented that the PDP was trying to
perpetuate itself in office after it had been rejected through the popular
vote by the people.
The PDP’s governorship candidate, Prof.
Oserheimen Osunbor, however, said the elections, were “Very orderly and
healthy. This is what is good about democracy. Every four years, people
have the opportunity to to vote to choose their leaders. It is important
that we conduct ourselves in a peaceful manner. People should not impose
themselves on the people. Democracy has a way of correcting the imperfections
in the system.” He declared that Saturday’s election was better than those
of 1999 and 2003.
The elections in Edo State, which witnessed a
huge turnout in several parts of the state, started late in many centres.
Electoral officials in many polling booths visited by our correspondent
complained that they couldn‘t start voting on time because of logistics
problems and the late delivery of election materials by INEC.
Later, Sunday Punch observed irregularities
perpetrated by suspected PDP officials under the watchful eyes of policemen
and thugs at major polling booths in Benin City, Auchi, Uromi, Ekpoma and
Ehor.
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