Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has clarified the reasons behind his early morning visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation centre in Benin City on Sunday. His presence at the centre, which sparked protests from the All Progressives Congress (APC), led to his being escorted out by the police at around 2 a.m.
According to reports, Obaseki arrived at the INEC premises to address concerns after receiving information that collation activities had been halted. In his statement, the governor explained his decision to visit the centre, stating, “At about 1 a.m., I got a report that collation was supposed to have been moved to the INEC head office. I also got reports from our agents that PDP agents were not allowed into the collation centre.”
He added, “At that point in time, I called the REC (Resident Electoral Commissioner) to find an explanation of what was going on. There was no response, and I then went to the INEC office to meet with the REC and understand what steps INEC was taking to continue the process of collation.”
Obaseki’s visit was met with resistance from APC members, who raised concerns about his presence at the collation centre. Around 3:30 a.m., APC members, led by Monday Okpebholo’s running mate, Dennis Idahosa, staged a protest demanding that Obaseki leave the premises.
Shortly before the governor was escorted out by a police team led by Deputy Inspector General Frank Mba, APC National Secretary Surajudeen Basiru addressed the press, stating, “The governor had no reason to be on the premises.”
The incident has drawn attention to the tension surrounding the collation process, with both parties keeping a close watch on the outcome.
