As gubernatorial election hold in Edo State today security has been beefed off in all the nooks and crannies of the state.
In Benin-City, military personnel, mobile police officers, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security personnel have as early as 6 am already mounted roadblocks along the major roads and streets.
Military drones and police Armoured Personnel Carriers ( APC) have started driving round the city in readiness to provide the expected security to the citizens and electorate.
Motorists and pedestrians were being thoroughly searched before they could be allowed to pass the checkpoints.
Some pedestrians who were with travelling lugage and also those who could not convincingly explain the reasons behind their movements were detained at the various checkpoints by the security operatives.
The searching by the security agents was in compliance with the restriction of movement directives by the authorities of the Nigeria police that commenced by 6 am to 6 pm.
There is heavy presence of the various security agents at the state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Benin-Auchi-Abuja expressway has been condoned off by security personnel from the Nigeria Army who mount checkpoints at every strategy locations and communities.
Political history will today be made in Edo State as 1,925,105 registered voters will throng to the various polling booths to cast their votes to elect a governor that would pilot the affairs of the state in the next four years.
BusinessDay reports that the governorship election earlier slated for September 10 was however rescheduled to hold September 28, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over security threat reports by the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Nigeria Police.
The major contenders for the Dennis Osadebey Avenue, Edo State seat of power, which would be vacate this November 11, following the expiration of the incumbent governor, Adams Oshiomhole second tenure are Godwin Obaseki, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Nineteenth political parties are fielding candidates for the election. The two major parties zoned the governorship position to Edo South Senatorial District.
The 2016 governorship election would make it the fifth governorship election conducted in the state since the current political dispensation, after the exit of military intervention in politics.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Joshak Habila in charge of operations in Benin City, disclosed that a total of 25,000 personnel had been deployed, 550 patrol vans, 54 coastal buses, additional 10 Armoured Personnel Carriers, were to be deployed to cover all the polling units across the state, rack centres, collation centres, riverine areas and difficult terrains.
The police personnel are to be drawn from police mobile, the counter-terrorism, the armament unit, among others, while the team would be led by a DIG, assisted by the AIG and three commissioners.
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp would deployed 20,000 personnel, the Nigeria Army 1,900 personnel as well as other paramilitary such as Immigration. Security personnel have since been deployed to their various local government headquarters for the purpose of the election.
With the two-day holiday declared by the state government, registered eligible voters had started travelling to their various locality to participate in the election.
