Davidson Ogbebor

Governor Monday Okpebholo has described voter turnout in Saturday’s Edo State local government elections as impressive, while accredited election observers commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of the exercise across the state.

The governor spoke after casting his vote at Ward 2, Udomi Primary School, Esan Central Local Government Area, where polling commenced early with electoral officials and security personnel on duty.

Governor Okpebholo arrived at his polling unit at about 10:24 a.m. and joined other voters in the queue before casting his ballot at 10:40 a.m. He later interacted with residents and stakeholders before addressing journalists.

Commending voters for their orderly conduct, the governor said reports from across the state indicated that the election was progressing peacefully.

“This election is very peaceful and it is going smoothly based on the feedback we are getting from the field,” he said.

“The turnout is very high. This is a demonstration of grassroots democracy. It shows that our people are interested in choosing those who will administer the affairs of their local governments. By the grace of God, a winner will emerge at the end of today’s election.”

He urged residents to remain peaceful throughout the exercise and await the official declaration of results by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC).

Accredited election observers also gave the exercise a positive assessment.

Speaking in Udomi, the Executive Director of the Initiative for Awareness of Civic Education for Citizens, Comrade Fidelis Nwoke, said observer groups deployed across the state had not recorded any major security breaches or disruptions during the poll.

According to him, his organisation and other accredited observer groups monitored polling units in Udomi, Igueben and other locations, where voting was generally peaceful and orderly.

“My organisation and several other observer groups have been fully accredited to monitor the Edo State local government election. Reports coming in from different parts of the state indicate that the process has been peaceful so far,” Nwoke said.

“We have monitored Udomi, Igueben and other locations. We observed that the exercise has been peaceful, orderly and smooth. Electoral officials arrived on time, voters have been able to cast their ballots and, at the end of the exercise, winners and losers will naturally emerge.”

Security personnel maintained a visible presence at polling centres visited by journalists, while voters queued patiently to cast their ballots.

At Udomi Primary School, where Governor Okpebholo voted, residents expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election, describing the process as orderly, transparent and free from intimidation.

Three voters—Christopher Ejodamen, Timothy Uwaya and Lucky Okoawo—said they voted without harassment, adding that the peaceful atmosphere encouraged greater participation and reinforced public confidence in grassroots democracy.

The voters also expressed support for Governor Okpebholo’s administration, noting that ongoing infrastructure projects and development initiatives across Edo State motivated many residents to participate in the election.

Saturday’s poll was conducted across the 18 local government areas of Edo State to elect chairmen and councillors. The exercise was supervised by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), with accredited observers, journalists and security agencies deployed to monitor the process.

As voting continued in many parts of the state, observers expressed optimism that the peaceful atmosphere witnessed during the early stages of the election would be sustained through the collation of results and official declaration of winners.