THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reconvened to continue the collation and announcements of the Edo State governorship election.

The state election was held on Saturday, September 21, as voters went to the poll to vote for their preferred candidates.

Seventeen political parties participated in the poll, with three candidates – PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, APC’s Monday Okpebholo, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) – leading the race.

The election results are from 4,519 polling units from the 18 local government areas (LGAs) in the state.

Before INEC reconvened, the election results of two LGAs were yet to be available out of the 18 LGAs in the state.

The ICIR reported how the All Progressives Congress (APC) led in the results of 16 LGAs announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

However, at the collation centre, a PDP agent, Tony Osaigbovo, accused the electoral umpire of manufacturing election results.

“INEC has manufactured votes. I won’t say much, this is ridiculous. These are not the results that were obtained at the polls,” Osaigbovo claimed.

He countered the results read out at the INEC collation centre.

Earlier a group of civil society organisations expressed displeasure over the transparency of the results collation process for the poll.

The group called on the INEC to observe the guidelines provided in the Electoral Act.

It said it observed disruptions at ward and local government collation centres, including intimidation of INEC officials and attempts to collate results contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.

There are approximately 2.63 million registered voters but only 2.25 million of these collected their permanent voter’s card (PVC), making them eligible to vote, according to data from INEC.