The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appears to be moving at a speed that most Nigerians aren’t used to seeing. Shockingly, the electoral body has already uploaded over 88% of the polling unit result sheets from the Edo State Governorship Election onto its Result Viewing Portal (IReV). For an organization often criticized for delays and inefficiency, this is nothing short of a miracle. As of 6:40 pm on Saturday, INEC had uploaded the results from 3,995 of the 4,519 polling units in Edo State.
Now, before we pop the champagne and congratulate INEC for doing their job for once, let’s not forget this is the same commission that usually keeps us waiting for days for election results. But maybe the criticism finally got to them, or maybe they just found the right button on their slow-running system.
On September 21, 2024, the people of Edo State trooped out to vote for a new governor to replace the outgoing Godwin Obaseki, whose two-term reign ends on November 12. Edo, part of the ‘off-season election club’ due to past court rulings, is one of the eight states that hold their governorship elections on different dates from the general elections. Other states in this category include Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun, and Ondo.
INEC reports show that there are 2,629,025 registered voters in Edo, spread across 4,519 polling units. Out of that number, 2,249,780 voters (a somewhat hopeful 85.57%) possess Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and had the chance to pick Obaseki’s successor. But let’s be real – how many of those voters actually turned up at the polls?
In what is being described as a ‘three-horse race’, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) are the main contenders vying for the top seat. The analysts say it’s a tight contest, but we all know how unpredictable Nigerian politics can be, it’s not over until it’s over.
Akpata, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), is riding the wave of support from 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, who managed to sweep over six million votes in last year’s election through his ‘Obidient’ movement. It seems Akpata is hoping for the same magic in Edo State, where his strong support base is in Edo South.
Then there’s Ighodalo, the ex-chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), who has the backing of the current governor, Obaseki. In true political fashion, Obaseki ditched his loyal deputy, Philip Shaibu, for Ighodalo. Not one to back down, Shaibu, alongside former governor Adams Oshiomhole, has thrown his weight behind APC’s candidate, Monday Okpebholo.
On paper, the APC seems to have an advantage, with current senators in Edo North (Oshiomhole) and Edo Central (Okpebholo) under its belt. Meanwhile, the Labour Party’s Neda Imasuen is holding it down in Edo South, where Akpata hails from.
With the clock ticking down to the final results, the big question remains: Will INEC maintain this newfound efficiency, or will they revert to their sluggish ways once the votes are counted?
