By Henry Oqua & Tunde Tee Olatunji
The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki has warned that the 2023 elections due to hold in February and March, will be very technical due to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) contained in Nigeria’s new Electoral Law.
The Governor sounded this warning in Uyo the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Sunday, October 9, 2022, during the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) South-South Zonal Meeting.
The leaders of the PDP in the South-South had gathered stakeholders from the region to discuss and set the tone for the official flag-off of the presidential campaigns taking place on Monday, 10th October.
Including Obaseki, the host, Governor Emmanuel Udom; the Vice Presidential Candidate of the PDP and Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri; and the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Rt Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; former governors, senators and other leaders present, highlighted the key role of the South-South region, promising to deliver their states for the presidential candidate.
Explaining the evolution of elections in Nigeria, Mr Obaseki noted that the new BVAS is the game changer as it ensures that voter’s cards are not manipulated during the elections.
According to Obaseki, “Our elections in Edo redefined electioneering in this republic. This is going to be a very different election from what we have known and experienced in the past. It is going to be a very technical election.
“After what we did in Edo, using technology for the election, we went to Osun and manned the situation room. And we can tell how the elections are now being run with the new electoral law. This is going to be a battle for the elections at the (polling) unit level.
“In this zone (south-south) we have the skills and knowledge to support one another in organising and running these elections.” the Governor said.
Obaseki’s message to the audience was received with much fanfare.
Despite some internal issues, the PDP hopes to beat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party’s candidates to clinch the presidency in 2023.
The party hopes that its strong showing on Monday will set the tone for a landslide victory, especially in the South-South region which has been a stronghold for the PDP since the return to democracy in 1999.
