The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo State has yet to receive governorship election results from any of the 18 local government areas, according to INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner Anugbum Onuoha.
“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,” Onuoha stated.
Onuoha expressed surprise at the misinformation spreading on social media, stressing that the law clearly states who can announce results. Despite this, over 90% of polling unit result sheets from Saturday’s governorship election have been uploaded to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
Seventeen candidates are vying for the office, but analysts describe the election as a three-horse race between Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP).
The APC has current senators in Edo North and Edo Central, while the Labour Party’s senator Neda Imasuen is from Edo South, where Akpata hails from.
The returning officer will announce the results, Onuoha reiterated, warning social media users against announcing results. “Nobody has the capacity to do that. The law is clear on who can announce the results. So, they should desist.”
