Parties kick as INEC announces Edo governorship election results

News Express |29th Sep 2016 | 2,934

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) this morning resumed collation of results of the Edo State governorship election held on Wednesday.

The commission had at midnight announced the suspension of collation as it awaited results from eight local government areas before beginning the announcement of the results.

Official results so far announced show Godwin Obaseki, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in the lead, followed by Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The collation process has not been without controversy, with some of the parties calling for either a recount of the votes in some areas or outright cancellation of the ballot due to irregularities.

PDP, in particular, is alleging that its victory in several areas had been overturned between midnight and this morning mainly through the voiding of valid votes and inflation of the votes of the ruling party.

Chieftains and representatives of KOWA Party and Action Alliance, while reacting to figures announced at the collation centre in Benin City, the state capital, also called for the cancellation of the election, alleging that it was marred by inducement and over-voting, among other malpractices.

•Photo shows Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu.