The Independent National Electoral Commission,
INEC, has given reasons for retracting its earlier stance to proceed with the
Edo State governorship election initially scheduled for Saturday.
Hours after the commission said it would go ahead
with the election despite the contrary advice of the Police and the State
Security Service, SSS, it retracted saying it had postponed the election by two
weeks.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the Police and
the SSS called on INEC to postpone the election and allow them address threats
emanating from insurgents bent on attacking electorates and disrupting the
election.
The electoral body initially refused to be
“teleguided”. It said suspending the polls would be costly after reaching at
least 97 per cent readiness level.
After a series of consultations, the Mahmood
Yakubu-led INEC finally gave in to the demands of security agencies. It
postponed the election to September 28.
In a telephone conversation with PREMIUM TIMES
Thursday night, the spokesperson of INEC, Nick Dazang, said the latest decision
was based on a better appraisal of the situation by INEC, following
explanations from the security agencies.
“It was only as at this evening that we were
officially communicated and they explained to us the challenges they had that
would affect their capacity to secure the election,” he said.
“Before then, we were hearing just like any other
person from the media that they were advising us to postpone. And as a
responsible organisation, we did not think there was any way we could proceed
on that basis.”
The spokesperson added that
the commission’s previous decision to go ahead because it had earlier received
reports from the same security operatives during a stake holders forum that
there would be sufficient protection of lives and properties during the
election.
“Don’t forget that the
story started trending that we were advised to postpone the election as we were
conducting the stake holders forum in Benin.
“The Police and the SSS
were represented there, at the highest level. The DIG operations represented
the IG and he was telling the stake holders, at the full glare of reporters,
that they would secure the environment for the election.
“That was the reason for
the initial stand. Those that gave the assurance were far higher than those who
issued the statement. So if the IG is saying one thing and a much lower person
is saying another, who should we follow?” he queried.
Mr. Dazang then provided
more details of the security agencies claims.
“They explained that going
ahead with the election would over stretch them and that giving the situation,
it was crucial for them to ensure the protection of voters, as well as our
staff.
“You know we are not in a
position to secure our staff. And we do not want to put them in harm’s way,” he
added.
While the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, and its officials condemned the postponement, the ruling
All Progressives Congress, APC, did not.
Godwin Obaseki, the APC
candidate, is slugging it out with Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the PDP in the race to
replace incumbent Adams Oshiomhole whose two-term tenure expires this November.
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