YOLA, Nigeria – On Saturday, April 15, 2023, police officers stationed at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Adamawa State denied accredited journalists access to the state collation centre.
The exclusion of the media has raised concerns about transparency in the electoral process.
Journalists, who had already been accredited for both presidential and gubernatorial elections, were surprised when they were turned away by the police.
According to the officers, they possessed a separate list of accredited journalists who would be granted access to the collation centre at a later time.
Sources revealed to Daily Trust that there are ongoing attempts to relocate the INEC collation centre from its current location on Bank Road to Dougerei.
This development has sparked a series of protests by supporters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who vowed to resist any attempt to tamper with the governorship election results.
As of the time of filing this report, some collation officers were already present at the collation centre, and the sorting of votes was underway.
The situation has raised questions about the transparency of the electoral process in Adamawa State, with the exclusion of journalists adding to the concerns.
Observers and stakeholders are calling for immediate intervention by INEC and relevant authorities to ensure that the electoral process remains transparent and credible.
