Edo Guber: Collation of Results Begin
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it is now ready to begin state level collation of results in Edo state following successful completion of voting yesterday.
The Commission wasted no time in activating the INEC Result Viewing, IReV portal, swiftly uploading the Polling Unit results for public viewing and has also completed the collation of results from all 192 Wards across the state.
Most of the Local Government Areas have also finalised their collation, with designated officials either present at the collation center in Benin City or en route.
It, however, raised concerns about what it called a deeply troubling incident reported by its Resident Electoral Commissioner.
A statement signed by the National Commissioner and Member Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna notes that yesterday, INEC office in Okpoba Okha Local Government Area came under threat, triggering a stampede that left one of its officials injured.
The statement also expressed concerns on the overnight presence of political actors and their supporters, staging demonstrations at the State Head Office, ahead of the final collation, saying the actions are both unnecessary and unacceptable.
It, however, made it clear in the strongest terms that no one should disrupt the process at any stage, and no one will be allowed to benefit from lawless behaviour, emphasising that the collation of results will proceed in full accordance with the Electoral Act 2022, along with the Commission’s established regulations and guidelines for election conduct.
It reminded all stakeholders that there is a proper mechanism to address complaints during the collation process, including the Commission’s power to review results declared under duress and they will not hesitate to exercise this authority if the need arises
It further clarified that accredited party agents, observers, and the media are guaranteed unimpeded access to all collation centers, as transparency remains a cornerstone of this process.
The statement also urged security agencies to maintain the same high level of vigilance and professionalism that has contributed to the peaceful conduct of the election so far, as the move towards conclusion proceeds.
