Gallant loss: Ighodalo emerges victorious at Akpata’s polling unit

By Paul Dada

Labour Party candidate in the  ongoing Edo governorship election, Olumide Akpata, could not emerge victorious in his own polling unit.

Akpata scored 32 votes at Polling Unit 11, Ward 06 where he voted while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo polled 41 votes.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Monday Okpebholo came third with 19 votes.

P. M. News earlier reported that Akpata expressed satisfaction with the voting process when he voted earlier.

Akpata who arrived around 10:30 am at the polling unit 11 of Ward 6 in Oredo Local Government Area, expressed satisfaction with the exercise.

He, however, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure a level playing field among the candidates.

He said: “The process went well. I want to hope that this is the experience of every Edo voter. But I’m not going to make that assumption standing here. I want to wait for feedback from my agents across the state. It’s 192 wards, 4500 polling units.

“We are hopeful that this will be the experience from every Edo voter and I am calling on INEC that the playing field should remain level.  Nobody should be given any undue advantage. All of our agents should be allowed into collation centres; the agent of all parties.

“Nobody should be hindered, prevented from going into the collation centre, so that we can all witness the process, and be able to confirm that it was done in the manner as provided by law, the electoral act and the constitution.

“So, INEC has no excuse, this is an off-cycle, they have the luxury to deploy their resources.

“All eyes are on INEC, the entire country are on INEC, and we are hoping that they will do a good job”.