At the collation centre in Owerri, the state capital, the exercise began on Sunday at around 2:40 in the morning.

The process of compiling the results of the Imo State governorship election has begun, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

At the state collation centre in Owerri, the state capital, the exercise got underway on Sunday at around 2:40 in the morning. Professor Abayomi Fasina, the vice chancellor of the Federal University in Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, is the returning officer.

However, there was some little drama at the start of the exercise when party operatives attempted to obstruct the results compilation.

“What’s the rush to begin collation?” A few of the operatives objected. “Party agents are prohibited from airing their complaints. Everyone is observing.

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However, Prof. Abayomi, the state Returning Officer for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the poll, requested that the results collation process start immediately.

The results of one of the three off-season polls conducted on Saturday in the nation, the governorship race, were collated just hours after it ended.

Voters flocked to the South-East state of Imo to cast ballots for their favourite candidates, and the election was generally peaceful. The All Progressives Congress (APC) governor Hope Uzodimma is running for a second term in office. The two other prominent candidates for the race are Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Athan Achonu of the Labour Party (LP).

Imo State has 27 local government areas, and the candidates are vying for control of those areas. The APC has already asserted victory over the four local government results that the electoral tribunal has released thus far.