APC wants collation in Edo centre halted over interference

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for a halt to collation of votes at Eghosa Grammar School, the collation centre for Egor Local Government Area of Edo. The APC, which made this known on Sunday, is alleging “unholy interference of the process by security agents.’’ The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that crisis […]

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for a halt to collation of votes at Eghosa Grammar School, the collation centre for Egor Local Government Area of Edo.

The APC, which made this known on Sunday, is alleging “unholy interference of the process by security agents.’’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that crisis began on Sunday when agents of the APC at the centre, accused security operatives of preventing them from having access to the collation process.

The APC agent demanded that the process of the collation be started all over again; or the election be cancelled.

NAN also reports that as tension around the centre heightened, the security committee, led by Mr DanMallam Mohammed, the Commissioner in charge of elections in Edo, led other security heads in the state to the venue.

Laying his complaint to the committee, the APC agent at the centre, Mr Paul Ohonbamu, alleged they were not involved in the collation process, adding that there was a polling unit result that was not declared in their presence.

However, the PDP agent at the centre, Mr. Idehen Osarobo, disagreed with Ohonbamu, claiming the results were counted with all agents of the political parties present, while all agents duly signed the results sheets, at the various polling units and wards.

Osarobo alleged that seeing that the APC agent saw that the party had lost in all the remaining wards, hurriedly left and returned with suspected thugs to disrupt the process.

He said they were, however, prevented from stirring any trouble by the security agents at the centre.

Dr Emmanuel Alex-Hart, the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) who addressed newsmen after interfacing with the agents, said the commission had started the process of resolving the issue.

Alex-Hart, however, regretted that both parties were not prepared to shift grounds.

NAN reports that the security committee, which arrived at the centre at about few minutes past 10:00 a.m., decided to remain at the venue to prevent any breakdown of law and order. (NAN)