BENIN CITY, Nigeria — The local government elections across the 18 councils and 192 wards of Edo State faced significant operational hurdles on Saturday, characterized by a severe lack of voter enthusiasm, late arrivals of polling officials, and missing electoral materials in multiple areas.
The exercise, which was organized and managed by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission, saw a remarkably low participation rate from residents. Observers noted that alongside the pervasive delays, the polling centers visited were noticeably devoid of diverse political representation, with only agents representing the All Progressives Congress visible at the stations.
A comprehensive tour of various voting hubs within the Oredo and Egor Local Government Areas in the morning hours exposed widespread logistical gaps. For instance, by 10:30 a.m., electoral officers and vital materials had yet to arrive at the UNICAF Group of Schools polling center in the Ugbiyokho area of Egor. No voters were found at the location, which was guarded only by lone female officers from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Similar desertion was observed at polling units near Asoro Slope along Ekenwa Road.
Even at key staging zones, the crowds failed to materialize. At the former Garrick Memorial School, which served as the designated registration area center for Ward 1 in Oredo, only a handful of citizens trickled in by mid-morning. When electoral officers finally arrived with ballot boxes at Units 46 and 47 within the Oba Market axis at around 11:45 a.m., they were met with empty streets. Low participation figures were equally recorded at Emokpae Primary School on Mission Road and the Edo City Transport Service office along Forestry Road.
Despite the prevailing quiet, some participants described a smooth experience. A voter at one of the functional units, Mrs. Blessing Odion, indicated that the process ran seamlessly for her. While acknowledging the sparse crowds, she suggested that community members might be utilizing a walk-in voting pattern, choosing to cast their ballots quickly and leave the premises immediately rather than waiting around the booths.
In contrast, voters who turned up early in other sectors faced frustrating delays. In Wards 8 and 10 of Egor, materials were significantly delayed. Eager citizens who arrived at Ugbowo Primary School before 9:00 a.m. found themselves waiting indefinitely for officials to open the stations.
A few distribution hubs fared slightly better due to their proximity to supply chains. Voting commenced just before 9:00 a.m. at Uselu Secondary School, which housed several units for Ward 8. A resident, Mr. Moses Osadolor, noted that while his voting experience was prompt, the basic infrastructure provided for the election workers was subpar. He pointed out that polling staff were forced to stand continuously while verifying voters because no tables or chairs had been provided. Osadolor also lamented the empty queues, stating he was the only person who had cast a ballot in his specific unit at that time.
The Supervisory Presiding Officer for the area, Mrs. Grace Ahiante, addressed the infrastructure deficit by explaining that the election workers were locked out of the school's classrooms where the furniture is normally stored. She revealed that an incoming local councilor eventually stepped in to rent an outdoor canopy, tables, and chairs to ensure the polling staff could comfortably finish their duties for the remainder of the day.
