INEC Finally Succumbs to pressure, EDO Election postponed to September 28, PDPs cry Foul

Drama and highlevel political intrigues yesterday trailed the resolve of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to go on with the conduct of the September 10 governorship election in Edo State.

Despite its initial resistance and posture, the electoral umpire, last night, made a surprise Uturn when it postponed the election till Wednesday, September 28. INEC had earlier, yesterday, insisted on going ahead with the poll. New Telegraph had exclusively reported yesterday that the commission would announce the postponement of the election yesterday. We also reported that the electoral body would shift the election for between two and three weeks.

A source in INEC had told New Telegraph that a meeting of the electoral body with the heads of security agencies would hold yesterday to take the decision. INEC’s National Commissioner (Voter Education and Publicity), Prince Solomon Soyebi, announced that the governorship election in Edo State will now be held on Wednesday, September 28.

Hordes of accredited international and national observers, including security operatives, last night, besieged the commission’s headquarters on the busy Benin-Aduwawa-Auchi- Anuja road in Benin, the state capital, for the announcement of the poll shift. Soyebi said the commission suspended the conduct of the poll on grounds of last-minute reminder of terror alert by the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) high commands in Abuja.

Soyebi said: “At about 6p.m. today (Thursday), the commission received official communication from the police and DSS drawing its attention to the need to postpone the Edo governorship election. Such a postponement, the communication indicates, is necessary in view of threats of terrorists’ activities in Edo and other stats of the federation during the election and over the Sallah period.

“The deployment of security personnel countrywide to secure lives and property would overstretch their capacity to, at the same time, provide adequate security for the elections. “Consequently, the commission notes the request of the security agencies and, considering the security implications of proceeding with the election, the safety of eligible voters, electoral officials, including ad hoc staff, and other stakeholders, has decided to reschedule the Edo Governorship election to Wednesday, 28th September 2016.” The INEC “enjoins all eligible voters in Edo State, politicians and other stakeholders to be peaceful and law abiding.”

Addressing journalists earlier before the sudden Uturn, Soyebi had expressed the determination of the commission to go ahead with the election. Soyebi disclosed that the commission had reached not less than 97 per cent level of preparation for the conduct of the election. Except the actual conduct of the election, he explained that the commission had scrupulously implemented all the items listed in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Edo governorship election which it issued in March this year.

“After carefully weighing all the consequences  and  parameters of postponing the Edo governorship election as advised yesterday by spokespersons of the Police and Department of State Services (DSS), INEC has decided to go ahead with the conduct of the election as scheduled for Saturday, 10th September 2016,” the INEC Commissioner stated. Soyebi stressed that the Commission would not be “teleguided” and that it would not do anything that would mortgage Nigeria’s democracy.

He further emphasized that the Commission robustly considered the implications of demobilising and arrived at the fact that it was more expensive to do so. The Police and DSS had, on Wednesday, called on INEC to postpone the Saturday election in Edo State, owing to security concerns.

The two security agencies said their call was predicated on available intelligence indicating plans by extremist elements, to attack vulnerable communities, as well as crowded places during the Sallah celebration.

Incidentally, the security agencies said Edo State was among the vulnerable targets. In a statement jointly  signed by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Don Awunah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), as well as Mr. Garba Abdullahi of the DSS, the agencies acknowledged the statutory responsibility of the INEC in conducting elections in the country. They, however, noted that national security would not be compromised on the altar of elections.

It was their considered view that the shifting of the much-anticipated poll will enable them deal decisively with the imminent threat. “The Nigeria Police and DSS wish to inform the general public that credible intelligence availed the agencies indicate plans by insurgent/extremist elements to attack vulnerable communities and soft targets with high population during the forthcoming Sallah celebrations between 12th and 13th September, 2016.

“Edo State is amongst the states being earmarked for these planned attacks by the extremist elements…. Meanwhile, Governor Adams Oshiomhole has kicked against the postponement of the governorship election for two weeks.

Oshiomhole said the election could be postponed for one week because of the planned coronation of the Oba of Benin that has been fixed for September 26. Speaking on a television programme, Oshiomhole said the Oba’s coronation is a big event which every Edo man celebrates and has a role to play. He said: “We have a big event in Edo on September 26 which is the Oba’s coronation. Before that day, there are other events that must be done. It will not be proper to hold election during that period.

“Why not postpone the election for one week?” On whether the All Progressives Congress (APC) was afraid of defeat, Oshiomhole said the APC defeated the PDP in 16 local governments in the last election held in the state.

He said his party was ready for the election and that Edo is not a war zone. The governor said: “We will win the election. The PDP has no credibility in this state.” However, the Edo State chapter of the PDP last night stated that the security advice given by INEC for postponing the governorship election was orchestrated in connivance with the Oshiomhole-led APC in the face of imminent defeat in the election.

The party in statement signed by State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, stated that: “For us, the move by INEC to put off the election is shocking and unacceptable. “We are taken aback by the rash security advice a day after the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, was present at the final campaign rally of the APC in Benin City, which was concluded without any security hitch.”

The party further said that it was on record that INEC recently conducted a hitch free senatorial byelection in Borno State, a state which had remained a hotbed of terrorism and insurgency, yet the security agencies saw no reason to advise against the conduct of the election. The party described the INEC’s action as “lamentable, inexcusable and shameful”.