Edo election: INEC warns against distruption of results collation process

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political actors against the disruption of Edo governorship election results collation process.

Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and Member, Information and Voter Education Committee, gave the warning in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Haruna said that INEC  was disturbed by reports of a threat resulting to stampede at its office in Okpoba Okha Local Government on Saturday, as well as action of some political actors at its head office in the state.

He said that following the conclusion of voting yesterday, the Commission activated the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal and uploaded the Polling Unit results, and the same results had also been collated from all the 192 wards.

Haruna said that similarly, collation the had been concluded in most of the local government areas and the designated officials were already at the collation centre in Benin City or on their way.

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“We are set to commence state-level collation.

“However, the Commission received a deeply disturbing report from our Resident Electoral Commissioner of a threat to our office in Okpoba Okha on Saturday, resulting in a stampede in which one of our officials was injured.

“We are similarly disturbed by the overnight presence and demonstrations by some political actors and their supporters at our State Head Office ahead of the commencement of final collation.

“ These actions are uncalled for. Nobody should disrupt the process at any stage and no one will be allowed to benefit from lawlessness.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the collation of result will proceed as provided by the Electoral Act 2022 and our regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections,” he said.

The national commissioner said that there was a mechanism for redressing complaints during collation, including the power to review results declared under duress.

Haruna said that the Commission would not hesitate to invoke such powers where necessary.

He said that accredited party agents, observers and the media should be granted unimpeded access to all collation centres.

He called on the security agencies to continue to maintain the same vigilance and professionalism that led to the peaceful conduct of the election as we conclude the process.

Edo election: INEC warns against distruption of results collation process

PDP govs allege disruption in Edo election results collation

The chairman of the National Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Edo State governorship election and governor of Adamawa State, Umaru Fintiri, on Sunday, demanded the immediate restoration of the collation process of the exercise in accordance with the Electoral Act and the INEC Rules and Regulations.

Governor Fintiri spoke on behalf of other PDP Governors while addressing journalists at the Edo Gubernatorial Election Situation Room located at the Government House, Benin City, on Sunday morning.

He noted that “any other illegal and unlawful action going forward will be a violation of the will of the people and an abuse of the Electoral Act 2022.”

Governor Fintiri, flanked by the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki; governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori; Taraba State governor, Kefas Agbu; Edo State PDP governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, and the Director General of PDP Campaign Council in the State, Mathew Iduoriyekemwen, said: “The collation process was violently interrupted in several local government areas across the State. In Edo South, local government collation processes were stopped in Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, and Egor and moved illegally to the State Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Benin on the instructions of an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) in complete breach of the statutory collation process.

“Affected Party Agents and representatives were then ordered to converge on the INEC State Headquarters in Aduwawa, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area for the completion of the collation exercise. Upon arrival, agents of the PDP were not allowed into INEC State Office for the exercise. On the other hand, agents of the APC were allowed unfettered access into the INEC premises to participate in the collation process. This was also in breach of the Electoral Act section on neutrality as well as the rules and regulations published for these elections.

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“At about 9pm senior party officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) accompanied by the police stormed the Etsako West Local Government collation center and began shooting indiscriminately.

“As a result of the attack the council Vice Chairman, Honorable Benji Ojetu was left in critical condition from a shooting injury. Because of this assault, the expected results from Wards 7 and 11 were not delivered.

“At the INEC state office a 2km-long garrison barricade was created by the Police to cordon-off access, thereby restricting movement in the area.

“It took the protest of Governor Godwin Obaseki to make an entry into the State INEC office and register the displeasure of the PDP with the irregularities of the collation process.”

He, however, announced the collated election results in their possession at the point of the alleged truncation of the collation exercise.

According to the PDP Governors, the results 12 local government areas included:

Esan Central
APC – 8,618
PDP – 10,990

Esan North East
APC – 10,648
PDP – 12,522

Esan South East
APC – 8,398
PDP – 14,199

Esan West:
APC – 12,952
PDP – 11,004

Iigueben:
APC – 8,407
PDP – 8,470

Etsako Central:
APC – 10 990
PDP – 8,618

Orhionmwon:
APC – 16,059
PDP: 16,614

Ovia North East
APC – 13,225
PDP – 15,311

Ovia South West
APC – 10,150
PDP – 10,260

Owan West
APC – 12,277
PDP – 11,284

Owan East
APC – 19,380
PDP – 14,189

Uhumwonde
APC – 8,673
PDP – 9,339

“We hereby demand a restoration of the collation process in accordance with the Electoral Act and the INEC rules and regulation for this election.

“Any other illegal and unlawful actions going forward will be a violation of the will of the people and an abuse of the Electoral Act 2022,” Fintiri declared.

He added that if the alleged illegality was allowed to stand, it will be one of the worst election in the history of democratic governance in Nigeria, alleging that the exercise was characterised with ‘massive vote writing’ and intimidation by security agencies.

PDP govs allege disruption in Edo election results collation

Obaseki explains visit to Edo collation centre

Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki on Sunday explained that he visited the State Collation Centre where the results of Saturday’s governorship election which took place in the state was being collated for him to get first-hand information about the process.

Newstrends reported that Obaseki was walked out of the Collation Centre in Benin City on Sunday morning by the mobile policemen led by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the election, DIG Frank Mba following protests amongst opposition parties in the State.

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Obaseki explained that his visit to the centre followed the failure to reach the
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo State, Anugbum Onuoha.

He added that he made several attempts to reach Onuoha all to no avail.

Obaseki explains visit to Edo collation centre