Edo Governorship Election: INEC Begins Announcement Of Results

CHANNELS TV

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun announcement of results of the  Edo State governorship election.

The Commission had earlier delayed the announcement as it awaited results from eight Local Government Areas before it begins announcement of the results.

The National Commissioner for Voter Education, Mr Solomon Soyebi, confirmed the delay to Channels Television.

Speaking during a phone interview he said the results started trickling in from midnight but the Commission decided to “have a number of them before we start collation and as of now we have about 10 out of the 18 local government results”, adding that “we believe collation will start in about one hour”.

He dismissed as “speculative” various results on newspapers, websites and blogs, maintaining that “whatever comes out from the Commission is the authentic result”.

He added that the Returning Officer is the only person authorized to make announcement of the result.

He, however, didn’t mention which local government areas these are.

Compilation of results in the Edo State governorship election began at the different local government areas across the state, with the electoral body getting ready at the headquarters to receive the results.

The compilation started after voting and counting of ballot papers at different polling units ended.

The exercise is said to have been largely peaceful.

However, cases of ballot box snatching have been reported at some polling stations.

Dissatisfied Opposition Parties

Dissatisfied with the way the election is going, the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has called for total cancellation of the poll.

Mr, Osaro Onaiwu on Wednesday alleged that financial inducement and intimidation of party loyalists occurred during the poll.

“The election is going to be inconclusive because there is a lot of damage already.

There was no election in Ologbo and Oluku and whatever result they are bringing out from these two places, it is not going to be accepted by us,” Mr Onaiwu said.

Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State claims there is a plan by the electoral body and Governor Adams Oshiomhole to rig the election at the collation centre.

The opposition party said that the delay by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to begin ward results announcement at the collation centre was a sign of the plan.

Governor Oshiomhole is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A statement by the spokesman for the party in Edo State, Chris Nehikhare, pointed out that voting stopped at 2:00pm and votes were counted immediately at the unit levels.

“From results made available to us we are in a very comfortable lead.

“We are however shocked that till now no ward result has been declared.

“We are aware that the APC and INEC plan to change the result at the collation centre and we wish to warn that any change to the result we are already aware of will be met with stiff resistance,” the opposition party said.

It further urged the INEC to tell Governor Oshiomhole that the changing and swapping of results at the collation centre was a no-no.

“Even worse is the attempt to prevent our agents into the collation centres.

“We, however, advise our supporters and members to remain calm. In a few more hours, the liberation of Edo will be official,” the statement further read.

Earlier, the candidate of the PDP, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu, said there were attempts to smuggle in results at the ward and the LGA collation.

He told reporters that the party was confident that the plan would not work.