UPDATE: INEC bars party agents, journalists from Lagos Collation Centre in Shomolu
*As undermined process noticed in Rivers, others
By OUR REPORTER
Update from Lagos shows that the heartbreak and loss of confidence expressed against the capacity of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deliver free, fair and credible elections further worsened Saturday, as the electoral umpire’s officials at Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos State barred journalists, party agents and observers from the collation centre.
The action of INEC officials is said to be against the practice of collating results publicly in the interest of fairness, as the Returning Officer of the Governorship and House of Assembly Elections, reportedly took the results from the wards to an inner office where she and some selected persons carried out the exercise.
Journalists and observers who had converged on the collation centre at the end of voting and polling units collation on Saturday were also reportedly denied access to the inner office.
Those at the inner office spent long hours working on the results from the wards.
Elections in Lagos State, like in Rivers and other parts of the country on Saturday, were marred with what Arise News described as “raw violence and thuggery”.
Emmanuel Efeni, an Arise News analyst, said, “From the utterances of Governor Nyesom Wike before the elections, it was clear that he was not ready for these elections.”
In Rivers, gun shots were heard and voters running helter-skelter scampering for safety without the armed police personnel on ground even launching a counter for the protection of the people.
The DEFENDER had reports that AIG Kayode Egbetokun, who is in charge of elections in the state, had vowed on Friday that anyone who would attempt to disrupt the elections should have himself to blame.
Performance appraisal of police on election duty in Saturday’s elections in Lagos, Rivers and Ogun states have been described as discouraging.
