There was large turnout of would be voters in many parts of Edo state on Saturday morning.
As early as 7.00am in the morning eligible voters have started to storm polling units for accreditation.
In many parts of the state capital, Benin especially Oredo area there were disappointments as the card readers could not work.
Some INEC officials I spoke to said some of the card readers still bore Feb 14th date and so cannot function..
In Garrick ward I, the Polling officer Rashidat Shobanjo said out of the 8 units in the area only one unit had its card reader working.
We however saw that by 12noon accreditation has started in most polling units as the card readers were later configured to match the new date. But people are apprehensive if the accreditation will still close by 1.00 or 1.30pm considering late accreditation.
In Edo central there also large Turnout of voters and security have been impressive
Though officials of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) arrived as early as 8am, accreditation in most of the polling units did not start as at 9am.
I also observed that security in these polling centres was heavy.
Officers of the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), and other sister security agencies were on hand to ensure safety of voters and the INEC officials.
Some of the areas visited were Imedokhoian, Okpoji at Uromi and Equare at Irrua as well as ward four at Ekpoma.
At Equare Primary School which has units 1,2 and 3 as polling units, turnout of voters was impressive.
Same situation was witnessed at Imedikhian ward seven with six polling units and at Okpoji ward four with the same numbers of units.
The Electoral Officer of Esan North East, Mr Lebari Ndu who spoke to reporters said all that was needed to make the elections in the area free, fair and credible has been done.
He said apart from early dispatch of officials, each polling units were provided with extra three card readers in card of any default from the original one provided.
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