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The primary
elections to choose state and federal assemblies candidates of the Edo
State chapter of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) were marred by
frustration and disappointment yesterday. Against the promise of the
state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, that all would be smooth sailing
during his interaction with all contestants on Tuesday, yesterday’s
primaries was almost a flop as voting materials and officials for the
conduct of the primaries did not arrive at almost all the 192 wards
across the state until about 3pm.

For this reason,
contestants and party members who had turned up for the exercise as
early as 7am were kept waiting under the scorching sun, forcing many of
them to protest the shoddy preparation.

When NEXT visited a
voting centre at Igbesanmwan Primary School, Oredo Ward 9 at about 2.55
pm, accreditation of party members was just commencing, as materials
were said to have arrived the centre at 2.45 pm.

Voting materials
were yet to arrive any of the voting centers in Akoko-Edo, Estako
Central, Estako -West (Auchi), Agenebode (Estako East) local
governments in Edo North Senatorial District and Ekpoma, Irrua, Ubiaja
Uromi and Igueben in Edo Central Senatorial District as at 2.40 pm when
NEXT made calls to those areas. The situation was the same in all the
voting centers in Edo South Senatorial District.

Pockets of violence
were, however reported at Uwenujie primary school, Irrua in Esan
Central Local government where people were said to have engaged in a
fight over the sharing of money given to them by contestants, just as
fighting reportedly erupted at Udo, in Ovia South- West local
government in Edo South Senatorial district over disagreement between
some supporters of contestants.

Tired of waiting

Osaretin Edosomwan,
one of the contestants for the House of Representatives for Oredo
Federal Constituency, told journalists that many people who came to
vote left the Igbesanmwn Primary School voting centre after waiting for
a long time without seeing either materials nor officials to conduct
the primaries.

“I called 11 other
wards,” he said. “They said no materials. I know that our people are
resolute. They want a change and that change we stand for. The world is
watching. Nigerians are watching. Edo state must get it right.” Another
aspirant for the Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency, Philip Ugbodaga, said:
“I believe they have their own agenda and I am really disappointed.”

Mr Oshiomhole also
expressed his disappointment over the delay in the conduct of the
primaries. Speaking to journalists at the George Idah Primary School,
Oredo Ward 2 voting centre, the governor wondered why materials for the
primaries were delayed.

“You should ask those conducting, I don’t conduct,” he said. “I am
going round to see what is happening and I have also called the
chairman that I am not satisfied that, at this point in time, they have
just started accreditation and he is giving me all kinds of excuses. I
am not satisfied that the materials have not gotten to voting centers.
What is the material? It is just the result sheets. It is not a
complicated thing.”