The Somolu Local Government Area of Lagos State’s Independent National Election Commission (INEC) authorities forbade journalists, party agents, and observers from entering the collation center.

In order to maintain impartiality, the returning officer for the governorship and house of assembly elections took the results from the wards to an interior office where she and a few chosen individuals conducted the exercise.

The inside office was closed off to reporters and observers who had gathered at the collation center on Saturday after the vote and polling unit collation was completed.

Those at the inner office spent long hours working on the results from the ward.

At about 4:58am on Sunday, the returning officer alongside police escorts left the INEC LGA office at Somolu with the results.

It is unclear if they were headed for the state collation center at Birrel Avenue, Yaba, as they refused to address the media.

Although party agents were not allowed in the inner office where the selective collation took place, they were later to sign and obtain duplicate sheets.

An observer, who spoke off the record for the fear of being victimised, said, “After spending the night outside at the INEC office , I was able to get result snapshot from an official whom I had met in the last presidential election. The person was invited to the inner office.”

Somolu is one of the LGAs that the ruling party lost to the opposition in the presidential election.

Activities will kick off at the State Collation Centre by 11am, according to an earlier announcement by the electoral commission.