Daud Olatunji
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed grave concern over the recent visit of Governor Godwin Obaseki to its state office in Benin City during the collation of results for the Edo State governorship election.
The governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki had early Sunday morning stormed the state headquarters of INEC in Benin before he was walked out by the police .
Reacting to the action, INEC in a press release, condemned the governor’s presence at the collation centre, describing it as an unnecessary and disruptive act at a crucial stage of the electoral process
According to the statement signed by Mohammed Haruna, the National Commissioner and member of the Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC raised alarm over a potential threat to the integrity of the election, emphasizing that political actors should not interfere with the collation process.
The commission revealed that it had already commenced the collation of results from all 192 wards in the state, with most local government areas having concluded their collation.
Designated officials, the release noted, had either arrived or were on their way to the state collation centre in Benin City to finalize the process.
Despite this progress, INEC reported a disturbing incident in Okpoba Okha Local Government Area, where a threat to its office led to a stampede. One of its officials sustained injuries as a result of the chaos.
INEC further expressed concern about the presence of demonstrators, including political supporters, at its state head office overnight, calling their actions unwarranted and a potential disruption to the electoral process.
“Nobody should disrupt the process at any stage, and no one will be allowed to benefit from lawlessness,” the statement warned.
The electoral body reiterated its commitment to ensuring a transparent and lawful conclusion to the election, highlighting the availability of mechanisms to address complaints that may arise during the collation of results.
The commission noted that, in accordance with the Electoral Act 2022, it retains the power to review results declared under duress and assured that it would not hesitate to invoke such powers if necessary.
INEC also urged political parties, accredited observers, and the media to continue monitoring the process without interference, calling on security agencies to maintain the vigilance and professionalism that contributed to the peaceful conduct of the election thus far.
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