By Bernadette Idalu
IGUOBAZUWA, Ovia South-West, August 16, 2025 – The bye-election to fill the vacant Ovia Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives opened on Saturday under a calm and orderly atmosphere, as voters turned out early at polling stations across Iguobazuwa.
By 8:30 a.m., clusters of voters were already gathered at the Ministry of Education II, patiently flipping through sheets of paper pasted on walls to confirm their names on the register at Ward 2, Polling Units 2, 3, and 4. The sight reflected an eagerness to participate, as residents quietly lined up while electoral officers moved briskly to set the process in motion.
Presiding Officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), supported by ad-hoc staff, guided voters through both manual and electronic verification. The bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) was in active use, ensuring each voter’s details matched records on the register.
At 9:35 a.m., Edo State Deputy Governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, arrived to cast his vote at Ward 2, Unit 3, within the same venue. Speaking afterwards, he commended both the electorate and security personnel for what he described as a peaceful exercise.
“There is strict compliance with the electoral rules and regulations guiding this bye-election,” Idahosa said. “Everything is orderly. We are anticipating a free, fair, and credible election today.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by the Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, who voted at Unit 2. “The election has been peaceful so far,” he remarked confidently, adding that he expected a landslide victory for his party.
For many ordinary voters, the experience was just as smooth. At Unit 4, Atiku Abubakar, a resident who had just completed the process, described it as transparent and hassle-free.
“No one got molested for voting their choice candidate,” he noted with satisfaction. “The voting arena is free of touts, and INEC officials were already at the polling units even before we, the electorate, arrived.”
Across the constituency, the dominant mood was one of calm and cooperation. From the quiet rustle of ballot papers to the orderly queues snaking under the morning sun, the Ovia bye-election stood out less for political drama than for the absence of it—a rare picture of democracy unfolding without rancour.
