Edo Decides: Obaseki Explains Visit To INEC Collation Centre

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has explained the reason for his unscheduled visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation centre in Benin City, the State capital, early on Sunday morning.

Reports had gone viral that the governor stormed the INEC premises at about 2 am on Sunday, but had to be escorted outside by the Nigeria Police team led by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Frank Mba.

Minutes before Governor Obaseki was eventually escorted outside the premises by Mba and a large contingent of policemen, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary, Surajudeen Basiru, told reporters that the governor had no business visiting the Collation Centre.

But speaking with journalists later at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Situation Room in Benin, Governor Obaseki said visiting the INEC office was to engage the Resident Electoral Commissioner after reports emerged that the Commission had stopped collating results.

According to him; “At about 1.00 am, I got a report that collation was supposed to have been moved to the INEC head office. I also got reports that PDP agents were not allowed into the Collation Centre. At that point in time, I called the REC to find an explanation of what was going on. There was no response.

“Then I went to the INEC office to meet with the REC and to understand what steps INEC was taking to continue the process of collation. When I got in there at about 2:00 am, I did not see any coalition taking place and the REC refused to come out to explain what the situation was.

“Subsequently, the DIG Police Frank Mba came in and had a meeting with me where I explained that if INEC was postponing or stopping the collation process, then as part of their rules, they should inform the public as to what next.

“As of 3:00 a.m., there was no information from INEC as to what was going on or what was going to happen next. It was subsequently after my insistence and meeting with Mr Frank Mba that INEC now released a statement at about 5:00 a.m this morning informing the public that the collation process would start at 10 a.m. this morning.

“So, my going there was essentially to obtain information from INEC because they had refused to put any information in the public domain as to what was going to happen with the collation process.”

Forefront News correspondent reports that in the process of DIG Mba’s intervention, some members of APC led by Monday Okpebholo’s running mate, Dennis Idahosa, had protested outside the Collation Centre demanding the exit of Obaseki from the INEC premises at about 3.30 am on Sunday.