From Moshood Karim
The 2025 Edo Central Senatorial District and Ovia Federal Constituency Bye-Election in Edo State on Saturday witnessed a low turnout of voters, with several polling units recording sparse participation despite a largely peaceful process.
Checks by Uptown Press at Oluku Ward 6 (Eresoyen Primary School), Adolor Ora-Ifon at Ezmo College Ward 10, and Iyowa Community Town Hall Ward revealed that only a handful of voters showed up in the early hours of the exercise.
At Ward 6, the Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Benson Edosomwan, praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for early commencement of the exercise and commended the peaceful atmosphere.
“Initially, the turnout was very poor. But right now, you can see more people are coming to vote. The security situation is okay, very good. There is no issue of violence here,” he said.
He, however, took a swipe at the opposition, alleging that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had become weakened and was hardly visible at the polling units.
In Iyowa, Ward 4, the Okaighele of the community, Igodaro Ohingbomwah Etinosa, applauded INEC for what he described as a well-organised process, stressing that residents had come out en masse to vote for their preferred candidates.
But at Adolor Ward 10, voters complained about the malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which temporarily stalled the exercise.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State, Professor Gabriel Yomere, who was deployed to Edo to oversee the election, confirmed the technical hitches but noted that technicians had been directed to resolve them.
“So far, the election has been peaceful except here in Ward 6 where they complained about the BVAS malfunctioning for two candidates. They have registered over sixty now. The exercise so far is cool, but the turnout is low,” Yomere told Uptown Press.
Meanwhile, Edo State Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, lauded what he described as an “impressive turnout” after casting his ballot at Iguobazuwa West Ward, Ovia South West. He described the process as seamless, peaceful, and encouraging.
Also participating in the exercise was Governor Monday Okpebholo, who voted in the Edo Central Senatorial Bye-Election at Udomi Primary School, Esan Central. The governor, however, raised concerns over delays caused by the BVAS machines.
“The BVAS is just too slow. It takes too long before you can get accredited. I think INEC needs to look into this. So far, so good, the feelers I’m getting are good,” Okpebholo told journalists after casting his ballot.
The bye-election was conducted to fill the vacant Ovia Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives, with INEC and security agencies assuring of a credible and peaceful process.
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