Edo election: Shaibu finally votes after seven-hour wait

The reinstated Edo State deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu on Saturday finally cast his vote after a long wait due to a technical glitch that lasted over seven hours by the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS).

He voted at about 3:00 pm at he popular Azama Primary School, Jattu, Edo State.

The voters had trooped out in large numbers to exercise their civic responsibilities but could not vote due to the malfunctioning of the BVAS, after the accreditation of voters which started in the morning.

Thousands of voters, including Shaibu, were seen standing in long queues at the polling unit.

Speaking with journalists about the development, the reinstated deputy governor expressed concern over the faulty machines, saying that the situation is capable of disenfranchising over 2,000 registered voters.

Some of the visibly angry voters expressed disappointment at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the state of the BVAS machines.

At Iyamho, hometown of immediate past governor of Edo State , Senator Adams Oshiomole, the situation was, however, different as the machine worked smoothly.

Addressing newsmen shortly after he cast his vote at about 12noon at Ward 10, Unit 01, Iyamho, Estako West Local Government, Senator Oshiomhole (Edo North) denied the allegation that APC has already stock-pilled money to buy votes of the people during the election.

The former national chairman of APC, who commended the exercise, said so far, he had not received any report of violence from anywhere across the state.

The former Edo governor and Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District noted that the voting process had been going on peacefully.

“It is laughable when I hear that kind of allegation. You have been here. Did you see anywhere where they are sharing money? People turned out in large numbers to vote for us because they want good government,” Oshiomhole said.

“During our campaign, people came out to see me not because I wanted to give them something but because of what I had done for them while I was in the office as the governor.

“All structures that I have put in place 12, 13 years ago are still there, but the ones put up by the present administration, in one year , they are washed off.

“So our people have seen the difference. Some people do tell me that since I left the government, they haven’t seen the real presence of government in their communities.”