By 9jaeye 
In the early hours of Sunday, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, paid an unexpected visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) head office in Benin City due to the delay in the collation of the Edo State Governorship Election results. Governor Obaseki, a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), arrived at the INEC office and went straight into a closed-door meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).
The meeting, which lasted for over an hour, raised concerns among opposition party members. Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed their dissatisfaction with the governor’s presence at the collation center, arguing that it was inappropriate for him to meet with INEC officials during the ongoing election process.
APC members at the collation center voiced their concerns, insisting that one of their representatives should be allowed to join the meeting between the governor and the INEC officials. Following their insistence, the request was granted, allowing an APC representative to be present during the discussions.
According to APC members, Governor Obaseki’s visit was improper, and they questioned the timing of his meeting with INEC during the collation of election results. After the meeting, the governor left without speaking to the journalists who had gathered outside the office.
As of Sunday morning, INEC has yet to fully resume the collation of the governorship election results, though approximately 90% of the results have already been uploaded to the INEC portal. The delay has caused frustration among voters and party members who are eagerly awaiting the official announcement.
Governor Obaseki’s visit adds another layer of tension to the election process, as candidates from the major political parties—Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, Monday Okpebholo of the APC, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP)—await the final results.
With the outcome of the election still uncertain, the delay in collation has sparked further scrutiny of the election process, with many questioning INEC’s handling of the situation.