Edo guber: INEC disowns social media collation, speaks on when official results will be announced

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disowned Edo State governorship election results circulating on social media saying it is yet to receive official results from any of the 18 local government areas (LGAs) in the state. 

The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Anugbum Onuoha, in an interview with Channels Television on Saturday, explained that the results of the election are still at the ward level and would travel to the local government level before being sent to the state collation centre.

“I cannot categorically tell you when we will announce the results in the state. As they come, we will announce,” Onuoha stated.

“For now, no results yet” from any of the local government, he said.

The REC warned social media users announcing the “results” of the poll, saying that this is not the position of the commission.

“I want to correct one thing: those who are publishing results, it is not their duty to announce results.

“INEC has not announced results. I am not even the returning officer for the state. The returning officer will announce the results. But I am surprised with what I see on social media. That is not the correct position of the commission.

“Nobody has the capacity to do that. The law is clear on who can announce the results. So, they should desist,” he said.

Meanwhile, the electoral umpire has uploaded over 90% of polling unit result sheets of Saturday’s governorship election on the commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

Out of the 4519 polling units, the electoral umpire has uploaded the result sheets of 3995 polling units on the portal as of 07:40 pm on Saturday.

On Saturday, September 21, 2024, the people of Edo State in South-South Nigeria voted to elect a new governor to succeed the incumbent, Godwin Obaseki, whose constitutional eight-year double terms will end on November 12, 2024.

Edo is one of the eight states where governorship elections are held off-season due to litigations and court judgements. Others are Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun and Ondo.

According to INEC, there are 2,629,025 total number of registered voters and 4,519 polling units in Edo State. Out of this figure, 2,249,780 (85.57%) have Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) and will decide Obaseki’s successor.

Though 17 candidates are jostling for the office, analysts have described the forthcoming poll as a three-horse race involving Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP).