Following the conclusion of voting in the Edo State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it is set to commence state-level collation of results.
This was disclosed by Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner & Member of the Information and Voter Education Committee, during a press conference on Sunday.
Haruna also confirmed that INEC had activated the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, enabling the prompt upload of polling unit results. He added that results from all 192 wards had been collated, with most Local Government Areas (LGAs) having completed their collation. Designated officials were either already present at the collation center in Benin City or en route.
Haruna stated, “We are set to commence state-level collation. For the avoidance of doubt, the collation of results will proceed as provided by the Electoral Act 2022 and our regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections.”
He also emphasized that INEC has mechanisms in place to address complaints during collation, particularly in cases where results were declared under duress.
“The Commission will not hesitate to invoke such powers where necessary,” he warned.
Additionally, INEC called on security agencies to maintain the same level of vigilance and professionalism that ensured a peaceful voting process, urging that accredited party agents, observers, and media personnel be given unimpeded access to all collation centers.
The collation of results is now a critical step as Edo State awaits the official declaration of the next governor.