Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki provided a detailed explanation for his early-morning visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation center in Benin City, the state capital, amidst the ongoing gubernatorial election. The visit, which took place under tense circumstances, has since drawn significant attention and sparked various reactions from political stakeholders.
According to earlier reports, the governor arrived at the INEC premises early on Sunday morning, at approximately two in the morning. His presence at the center raised eyebrows, particularly as he remained there until police officers, led by Deputy Inspector General Frank Mba, escorted him out of the premises. The situation at the collation center was already charged, with tensions running high among party supporters and electoral officials.
Protesters, including members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dennis Idahosa, the running mate of APC's candidate Monday Okpebholo, gathered at the Independent National Electoral Commission premises at around 3:30 am on Sunday. They demanded Obaseki’s departure, accusing him of attempting to interfere with the electoral process. The protest was marked by heightened emotions, as the APC members insisted that the governor had no valid reason to be on the INEC premises at that critical time.
Minutes before Obaseki was escorted out by DIG Mba, flanked by a contingent of policemen, All Progressives Congress National Secretary, Surajudeen Basiru, addressed journalists at the scene. He asserted that the governor’s presence at the INEC collation center was unwarranted and inappropriate, further fueling the tension at the location.
Later, addressing journalists at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Situation Room in Benin, Obaseki clarified his actions, explaining that his visit to the INEC office was prompted by concerning reports he had received regarding the collation process. According to the governor, around 1 am, he was informed that collation was supposed to have been moved to the INEC head office. However, he also received troubling reports from PDP agents who claimed they were not being allowed into the collation center.
Obaseki stated, “At about 1 am, 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 further explained that, given the seriousness of the situation, he attempted to contact the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to seek clarification on what was happening. "At that point in time, I called the REC 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 to understand what steps INEC was taking to continue the process of collation,” Obaseki said, emphasizing that his actions were motivated by a desire to ensure the integrity of the electoral process and to get firsthand information on the ongoing situation.