The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, says low voters did not turn out for the Edo State governorship election that held on Saturday.
He stated this in Benin City during an interview on Channels Television as the results started trickling in after the conduct of the off-cycle poll.
He described the situation as sad and disappointing, noting that most young people appear on the ballot.
“Majority of those who are actually on the ballot are young people, and it is just sad to see that there are not too many young people that showed up to cast their vote,” he said.
“If they did, perhaps we would have recorded higher turnout levels. You go to a polling unit of about 1,700 voters, you will see just a hundred or 200.”
Earlier, Yiaga Africa said its agents observed incidences of vote buying and polling unit disruption during Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State.
The group in a statement said it deployed 300 stationary and 25 roving agents to observe a representative sample of polling units across all 18 LGAs in Edo.
It noted that the observers were monitoring the results collation process at the LGA and state levels.
“Yiaga Africa observers reported incidents of vote buying in Ikpoba/Okha, Igueben, Esan West, Akoko Edo, Owan West and Uhunmode LGAs. APC and PDP party agents were seen bribing voters with cash (N10,000) at the Igueben – Idumoka Pri School polling unit (12-10-03-004) Ward 1 in Igueben LGA,” the statement read.
“Party agents for APC and PDP were also seen handing out cash (N10,000) in Enikaro – Enikaro Primary School IX Polling Unit (12-11-07-009) in Ugbekun ward, Ikpoba/Okha LGA.
“Voters halted the accreditation and voting process in the Ikpoba—Army Children XI polling unit (12-11-01-011) in Iwogban/Uteh Ward, Ikpoba/Okha LGA because INEC officials arrived without the official stamp.
“At Ebua Market Square in Uhunwode LGA, an altercation between APC and PDP supporters over alleged bribery led to the suspension of voting and the destruction of the voting cubicle. Political thugs also disrupted voting at Anyaran Araromi Primary School in Akoko Edo LGA.”
Edo residents went to the polls on Saturday to elect who govern them for the next four years.
There are 17 candidates in the race for the Edo governorship seat, comprising 16 men and one woman.
Among the leading candidates are Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said 2,629,025 voters registered to cast their ballot.