The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the collation process for the 2023 Imo State governorship election.
The proceedings, led by the returning officer, Abayomi Fasina, who serves as the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University in Oye, Ekiti, commenced at 2:40 am on Sunday at the collation center in Owerri.
Despite the early hour, a tense atmosphere enveloped the collation center, marked by a tumultuous session as various political party agents expressed discontent with the ongoing collation process.
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“Why are you in a hurry to collate?” one of the party agents shouted repeatedly.
Agents from multiple political parties called for the suspension of collation until allegations of electoral malpractices, raised by certain candidates, were addressed.
But Mr Fasina, a professor, insisted that the collation must go on.
At about 5:08 a.m., a party agent was forcefully bundled out of the State Collation Centre by some security agencies.