Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has explained his presence at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation centre in Benin City during the early hours of Sunday, following mounting tensions surrounding the ongoing Edo governorship election.
Governor Obaseki, who arrived at the INEC premises around 2 a.m., was seen leaving the location escorted by police officers, led by Deputy Inspector General Frank Mba.
His exit followed demands from members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including Monday Okpebholo’s running mate, Dennis Idahosa, who protested his presence at the centre at about 3:30 a.m.
In a press briefing at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Situation Room in Benin, Obaseki explained that his visit was driven by concerns over the sudden halt of the collation process and reports that PDP agents were being denied access to the centre.
“At about 1 a.m., I received reports that the collation process had been moved to the INEC head office. However, I also got information from our agents that PDP representatives were not allowed into the collation centre. When my calls to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) went unanswered, I decided to visit INEC myself,” Obaseki stated.
Arriving at the centre at 2 a.m., the governor found that collation was not taking place, and the REC declined to provide any explanation. Following a meeting with DIG Frank Mba, Obaseki pressed for clarification from INEC regarding the halted process.
“As of 3 a.m., there was still no official communication from INEC. It was only after my insistence that INEC issued a statement at 5 a.m., confirming that collation would resume at 10 a.m.,” the governor said.
Obaseki clarified that his visit was solely to seek information and ensure transparency, as INEC had failed to provide the public with updates on the collation process.