INEC bars print, online journalists from collation centre
Journalists from print and online newspapers have been denied access to the collation centre of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Benin, the Edo state capital.
Journalists, who converged on the Ipoba Hill headquarters of INEC in Benin, were ushered out of one of the main halls at about 8:30pm.
A police officer handed a list to the armed operatives manning the centre, and directed them to deny entry to anyone whose name was not on the list.
Apart from journalists from television stations, only electoral observers, party agents, security personnel and INEC officials were allowed to go inside the hall.
Some journalists awaiting clearance from the security personnel
A reporter with Radio Nigeria, who approached the security officials, was referred to a canopy in an open space within the compound.
The place is filled with mosquitoes, and some of the reporters left in protest.
No official of the commission addressed those affected on the reason why they were restricted from the hall.
Transparency comes at a price. You should have gone to cover the event as an election observer. But great reporting, keep up the good work!
I suspect INEC has a hidden agenda because this is odd. Secondly, INEC has no cogent reason to suspend collation of results. Election day activities cannot be suspended until the result is announced.