Most major markets and business centres in Edo State were shut for business on Saturday to observe the Local Government Election, despite the government reversal of the restriction of movement order.
Alhough the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission(EDSIEC) had earlier announced restriction of movement ahead of the LG polls, Governor Godwin Obaseki, however, reversed the order after the state security council meeting on Thursday.
Only a handful of traders and customers were seen doing businesses at Uselu, Oliha, Oba and New Benin markets, among other major ones within the Benin metropolis.
Traffic was light on some of the usually busy routes like New Lagos Road, Sapele Road, Akpakpava, Siluko and Sakpoba road, as very few commercial vehicles were seen plying the routes for business as at the time of filing this report.
Similarly, major transport companies such as Ecobus, Edegbe Motors, Greener Line and the God is Good Motors (GIGM) located along Lagos Road, all shut their gates.
Most mechanic workshops along the routes were not opened as of the time of filing the report.
However, there was a boom of commercial activities in some of polling units besieged by traders hawking their wares.
Also, late arrival of materials characterised the election in some parts.
Voters were kept waiting for long in queues at many polling units in Benin as electoral materials failed to arrive at 8 a.m. as scheduled by the electoral umpire.
In Egor Local Government area, one of the municipal councils within the Benin metropolis, materials started arriving at the units few minutes before 10 a.m.
Some political parties’ agents had defied the heavy downpour to arrive the polling units as early as 8 a.m.
Voters, who started trooping into the polling centres some minutes past 8 a.m, expressed surprise that neither electoral materials nor electoral officers had arrived at the polling units.
A security officer deployed to unit 44 ward 10 of Egor LGA, who preferred anonymity, said materials were still being awaited as at 8:30 a.m.
At units 1 to 7 ward 7 in the same council areas domiciled at Olua Primary School, Uselu, officials of the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) came in with electoral materials by 9:37am.
At Oredo LGA, materials were yet to arrive at their various units visited by 10:15 a.m.
Voters were already waiting at units 1 to 3 Ward 12 in front of Oba Market in spite of the closeness to the Oredo LGA secretariat.
The situation was not different at units 11 and 31 in ward 1 of Oredo LGA, where materials were still being expected as at 10:30 a.m.
Many voters expressed shock at the situation.
One of them, Charles Osagie, called for extension of voting time since the state electoral body could not start in time.
In Auchi, Etsako West LGA, it was observed that though materials arrived early in most polling units, low turnout of voters, however, characterised the exercise in the area.
Only few voters were seen at the polling units to cast their vote.
At Ward 11, unit 2, 8, 9 in Jattu, few voters were on ground to cast their votes.
At Auchi Ward 4, unit 5, 6, materials arrived at about 9.00 a.m. with security personnel.on ground but few voters were seen.
In Fugar, Ward 7, units 7, 8, 9, Obe primary school, low turnout was recorded as few people came out to vote.
A voter, Mr Monday Ikhiroda, expressed displeasure over the low turnout.
Ikhiroda blamed the low turnout to government’s late reversal order of restriction of movement.
“As you can see, there is low turnout of voters in this ward; and from the reports reaching me, there is also low turnout of voters in some major polling units in the local government.
“The low turnout of voters can be blamed on late reversal of the restriction of movement order by the state government, as many have gone for their daily businesses,” Ikhiroda said.
