#EdoDecides2024: EFCC arrests suspected vote buyers in Egor LGA

The arrest of the suspects created tension at the polling unit and caused a disruption of the voting process.

Voting was disrupted in Unit7, Ward 4 in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State when officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) attempted to arrest suspected vote buyers at the polling unit.

The altercation led to the destruction of ballot boxes during Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

The incident created tension at the polling unit, the News Central TV reported.

The suspects were whisked away at about 10 .a.m.as some voters argued that they were being victimised by the officials of the anti-graft agency.

As at the point of filling this report, security officials had restored normalcy to the polling unit and voting had resumed.

Sixteen candidates are on the ballot in an election analysts have characterised as a “high-stakes” contest.

Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are considered the frontrunners in the elections.

According to data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), there are 2,629,025 registered voters in the state. However, only 2,249,780 have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Edo South Senatorial District, with its seven local government areas, leads in PVC collections with 1,254,424, representing 55.76 per cent of the total. Edo North Senatorial District follows with 629,397 PVCs, or 27.98 per cent, while Edo Central Senatorial District lags with 365,959 PVCs, accounting for 16.27 per cent.

Edo State has 18 local government areas, 192 electoral wards, and 4,519 polling units.