• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Edo poll: Apprehension as INEC adjourns results collation, goes on 2-hour break

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Collation of results of Saturday’s Edo State governorship election was on Sunday put on hold as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) adjourned for two hours following the after the collation officer of Orhionmwon Local Government Area was nowhere to be found to present results from the local government area to the returning officer.

INEC has adjourned for two hours to enable the collation officers bring the results, causing apprehension among the electorate.

It was gathered that the collation officer, along with one of the agents of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), entered the INEC premises. The collation officer was, however, nowhere in sight when the returning officer, Akpofure Rim-rukeh, asked after the collation officer to present results.

The state party agent of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, raised the alarm that the PDP agent in Orhionmwon followed the collation officer into the INEC building but the collation officer is yet to come to the collation centre with the results.

Following the development, the returning officer put a call through to the collation officer informing him of the urgency of the results, and ordered him to come to the collation centre with the results.

Results from Orhionmwon and Ovia South-West are the only local government areas yet to be announced.

Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, in a statement said the unexplainable break called by INEC officials is causing apprehension in the state.

Osagie wondered why the results are being delayed when the collating officers are present at the venue to announce the results from Orhionmwon and Ovia South West Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Saturday’s governorship election.

He said the delay in the release of the result is causing a stir among Edo electorates who have vowed to resist any plot to undermine their will.

“We are compelled to alert Edo people, Nigerians and all lovers of democracy that officials of INEC called for a two-hour break, which is unexplainable as there is no concrete reason to justify the delay of the result.

“We are aware that the returning officials from the two remaining local councils were at the INEC state office, to announce the result.

“But when it was time for the results to be announced, these officials were called into a separate room and are being held hostage, where we suspect the result was manipulated. After they had perfected their plot, they called for a two-hour break.

“It is instructive that one of the outstanding results is from the local government area of the candidate of the APC, which makes the matter all the more curious,” Osagie said.

He noted that it is pertinent to draw the attention of the world to this development as this is a critical time and it would be horrendous if the will of Edo people is undermined at this last minute.