#EdoDecides2024: I’m optimistic of winning – Akpata

Mr Akpata spoke to journalists after casting his vote at his polling unit at Iyaro in Benin City, the state capital, on Saturday.

Labour Party’s governorship candidate in Edo State, Olumide Akpata, expressed confidence that he will win Saturday’s.

There are 17 candidates, comprising 16 males and a female, in the Edo State governorship race. However, the race is narrowed down to the three front runners: Mr Akpata, Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressive Candidates (APC) and Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“I am pumped, I am optimistic, we have this one, we’ve got this one. The Edo people will speak loud and clear today,” Mr Akpata told journalists after casting his vote at his polling unit at Iyaro in Benin City, the state capital, on Saturday.

Earlier on Friday, he alleged in a statement on his X handle that he was in the race to win after a statement purportedly credited to him had been circulated on social media that he will no longer be contesting.

Voter turnout in the elections

Despite the rain, voters had gathered across various polling units to exercise their franchise.

Speaking of the voter turnout on Saturday, Mr Akpata, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, said, “I am impressed, this is my polling unit, I am very impressed and the feedback I am getting from around the country is that people are coming out, the rain will set us back a bit but I am sure once it subsides people will be here. So I am quite impressed, the people are hungry for a change and so this is symbolic (referring to the rain). It just tells us you that the people want to see that things turn around in Edo state.”

Reports from different parts of he state showed INEC officials arrived late at many polling units. YIAGA, a civil society organisation, reported that voting commenced at exactly 8:30 a.m. in only 17 per cent of polling units. At 10:00 a.m. some of the electoral officials had yet to arrive at their units.

INEC has subsequently extended the voting time in areas where voting commenced late to ensure that no voter is disenfranchised.

Akpata’s experience at the polls

Further speaking about his experience after casting his vote, Mr Akpata said, “For me it was fast but you cannot use my experience in judging the process, it went well for me, perfect seamless, I hope that is the experience of every Edo voter, so I am going to reach out and get the feedback to know whether or not this is how it had worked out for everybody.”

He continued, “For me, everything went well, the machine worked perfectly, it captured me, I got my ballot paper, I went into the booth, I thumb printed where you will imagine I will thumb print and then I put in the ballot box and I was done, three-minutes, four minutes it was done. But is that the experience of every Edo voter? The injury is out on that, time will tell.”

Premium Times reported that voters were frustrated at the late commencement of voting at some polling units despite defying heavy rainfall. Some of these voters consisted of older persons who sat in canopies under the rain at Ward 1, unit 3 at Ewohinmi.

Mr Akpata also expressed his optimism that the INEC will conduct a free and fair election.

“So I am being hopeful that those who are superintending over elections, those who are superintending over this process will allow the will of the people prevail because the people have come out and once you allow the will of the people prevail, then we have had a good day,’’ he said.