Party agents, combined team of soldiers and Policemen took over the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as non-sensitive materials are conveyed to all the 18 local government areas of Edo State amid tight security.
LEADERSHIP WEEKEND checks at the INEC office reveals that stern looking security men had barricaded the gate leading to the office, in an effort to wade off miscreants and trouble makers, just as international and local observers, including journalists struggle for accreditation.
There were also heavy traffic gridlocks at the INEC office, as security personnel conduct search on vehicles plying the Benin-Auchi expressway.
A PDP party agent, Hon Larry Ogieva, who spoke exclusively to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND expressed satisfaction at the security arrangement in INEC office, despite the fact that he is not aware of what was happening inside the office.
Speaking to journalists, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Kassim Geidam said the commission is determined to conduct a hitch free election with the cooperation of all agencies.
“We are right now trying to distribute the sensitive materials in the presence of all the party agents and at the end of the day we would move to the local government areas for further distribution. We are positive that the election would be free and fair, even as we expect Nigerians to be positive too.”