Edo Election: INEC denied PDP agents access to collation centre, Fintiri alleges

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of denying its agents access to the INEC state office for the collation exercise, even though agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were allowed unfettered access to the INEC premises to participate in the collation process.

Briefing newsmen in Benin at the Edo Gubernatorial Election 2024 Situation Room, Adamawa State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Campaign Council for the September 21 Edo governorship poll, Ahmadu Umaru, said the collation process was violently interrupted in several local government areas (LGAs)across the state.

“In Edo South, local government collation processes were stopped in Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, and Egor and moved illegally to the State Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Benin on the instructions of an Assistant Inspector General (AIG), in complete breach of the statutory collation process.

“Affected party agents and representatives were then ordered to converge on the INEC State Headquarters in Aduwawa, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area for the completion of the collation exercise. Upon arrival, agents of the PDP were not allowed into the INEC State Office for the exercise.

“On the other hand, agents of the APC were allowed unfettered access into the INEC premises to participate in the collation process. This was also in breach of the Electoral Act section on neutrality, as well as the rules and regulations published for these elections.”

He added that at about 9 p.m., senior officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC), accompanied by the police, stormed the Etsako West Local Government collation centre and began shooting indiscriminately.

“As a result of the attack, the council Vice Chairman was left in a critical condition from a shooting injury. Because of this assault, the expected results from Wards 7 and 11 were not delivered.

“At the INEC state office, a 2 km-long barricade was created by the police to cordon off access, thereby restricting movement in the area.

“It took the protest of Governor Godwin Obaseki to gain entry into the State INEC office and register the displeasure of the PDP with the irregularities of the collation process,” Fintiri said.

Fintiri added that at the point of the truncation of the collation exercise, the PDP was coasting home to victory.

Governor Fintiri is the head of the 152-member PDP campaign council for the Edo governorship election.