Emmanuel OchayiEdo State Governor Godwin Obaseki took matters into his own hands during the Edo election, showing up at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation center to get first-hand information about the election collation process. Speaking later, he explained his reasons for visiting the INEC office in Benin City.
“I went there to find out what was going on,” Obaseki said during a Sunday briefing organized by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign team. “I could not reach the INEC or the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Edo State, Anugbum Onuoha.”
Join our WhatsApp ChannelGovernor Obaseki’s visit to the state collation center took place in the early hours, around 1:00 a.m., after reports reached him about unusual developments in the collation process. According to the governor, his agents had informed him that some agents from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) were not being allowed into the collation center, raising concerns about transparency.
“At about 1:00 a.m., I received reports that the collation process was supposed to have been moved to the INEC head office,” he said. “Our agents were also reporting that PPP agents were not allowed in. I called the REC to find out what was happening, but there was no response.”
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With this uncertainty and a lack of communication from election officials, Governor Obaseki decided to go to the INEC office to assess the situation and seek answers. “I went there to meet with the REC and try to understand what steps INEC was taking to continue the collation process,” he explained.
Arriving at the INEC office at around 2:00 a.m., Obaseki was met with silence. “I did not see any collation taking place, and the REC refused to come out to explain what the situation was,” he said. This left him and others in the dark about what was happening with the Edo election process.
The governor’s frustration was compounded by the lack of communication from INEC. As he explained, there was no official statement or explanation about the delay or changes in the collation process. “As of 3:00 a.m., there was no information from INEC on what was happening or what would happen next,” he added.
It wasn’t until after Obaseki had a meeting with Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Frank Mba that progress was made. “I met with Frank Mba and explained that if INEC was postponing or stopping the collation process, they needed to inform the public, as their rules require,” Obaseki said. Following this discussion, INEC finally started around 5:00 a.m., informing the public that the collation process would resume at 10:00 a.m. that morning.
The delay and lack of transparency during the Edo election raised concerns among party agents, observers, and members of the public. Obaseki’s decision to visit the collation center reflected his determination to get to the bottom of the situation and ensure that the electoral process was being handled fairly and transparently.
“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,” the governor concluded.
This episode highlights the challenges that sometimes arise during elections, particularly when there is a lack of communication from authorities. Obaseki’s insistence on transparency during the Edo election reminds electoral bodies to provide timely information to the public, ensuring that the process remains credible.
As the collation process continued later that morning, Obaseki and the people of Edo State awaited the outcome of the election, hoping for a transparent and fair result.
Emmanuel Ochayi is a journalist. He is a graduate of the University of Lagos, School of first choice and the nations pride. Emmanuel is keen on exploring writing angles in different areas, including Business, climate change, politics, Education, and others.
