INEC two-hour break in announcing result is suspicious, says Obaseki’s aide

Special adviser to the Edo State governor on media and communication strategy, Crusoe Osagie, has said that the unexplained break called by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could be a plot to manipulate results of the state governorship election.

Osagie, in a statement, said the break “is causing apprehension in the state, wondering why the results are being delayed when the collating officers are present at the venue to announce the results from Orhionmwon and Ovia South-West Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Saturday’s governorship election.

He stated that the delay in the release of the result is causing a stir among Edo electorates who have vowed to resist any plot to undermine their will.

“We are compelled to alert Edo people, Nigerians and all lovers of democracy that officials of INEC called for a two-hour break, which is unexplainable as there is no concrete reason to justify the delay of the result,” Osagie said.

“We are aware that the returning officials from the two remaining local councils were at the INEC state office, to announce the result.

“But when it was time for the results to be announced, these officials were called into a separate room and are being held hostage, where we suspect the result was manipulated. After they had perfected their plot, they called for a two-hour break.

“It is instructive that one of the outstanding results is from the local government area of the candidate of the APC, which makes the matter all the more curious.”

He noted that it is pertinent to alert the public on the state of the election as “this is a critical time and it would be horrendous if the will of Edo people is undermined at this last minute.”