“The much-anticipated election in Edo State this morning may witness a great deal of apathy at least within the city centre of the state, as most streets in Benin City, the Edo State capital, have been deserted because of the fear of the unknown. The seeming apathy is further compounded by the presence of thousands of armed security operatives who have taken over strategic locations within Benin City.
It will be recalled that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, yesterday withdrew all the security operatives attached to political leaders and other prominent personalities, insisting that no person must be accompanied by security operatives to the polling centres for today’s election.
A walk around the city revealed that some residents of the state have really lost enthusiasm regarding the franchise exercise. For instance, a resident on Ugbor Road, who volunteered to speak under the condition of anonymity, said he would not want to risk his life because of the election.
As you must have observed, we have all been confined for the past three days by armed security operatives who have taken over the entire Benin City. Does it make sense for anyone to leave their home and go to vote in an atmosphere of uncertainty where you don’t even know who is who? You never can tell; your political opponent might have been assigned a rifle in the name of providing security,” an Ugbor Road resident disclosed.