BREAKING NEWS: PDP reacts to calls for Edo election postponement

– There are fears that great violence might erupt in the course of the Edo governorship election

 – The Peoples Democratic Party has reacted to the calls for postponement of the electoral exercise

 – PDP has accused the APC of plotting to move the election scheduled for Saturday, September 10

 

There is palpable anxiety over the conduct of the much awaited gubernatorial election in Edo state scheduled for this weekend. Top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), heads of security ‎agents and a representative of the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps had earlier in the morning of Wednesday at a stakeholders’ meeting, assured of their preparedness conduct a smooth, free, fair and conclusive election.

There was however rumour in the afternoon of Wednesday that plans to shift the election, over security concerns.

National Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, who addressed journalists in the evening of Wednesday in Benin, said the Commission was yet to come out with a decision on whether the election was to hold or not, as it was still consulting ‎with security agents. Reacting to the alleged plan to postpone the election, members of civil society groups ‎in the state said the alleged security threat does not warrant any postponement of the much anticipated gubernatorial election. Secretary to the state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), Osaro Idah, said any postponement should not take too long before it is conducted. On his part, the State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Congress (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih, said democracy is under threat in the state. The PDP continued in reaction to calls for the postponement of the election in a statement by Prince Dayo Adeyeye the PDP national publicity secretary. “Our attention has been drawn to the shocking breaking news of the advise by the DSS and the Police to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the Saturday, September 10, 2016 Gubernatorial Election in Edo state on excuse of insurgency alert. We are taken aback on this advise coming 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 Mega Rally of its Party, the APC in Benin City which was concluded without any hitch.

“It is on record that INEC recently conducted a ‘hitch free’ Senatorial By-Election in Borno State which is a high-point of insurgency in the Country but the Security Agencies saw no reason to call-off the Election. It is therefore lamentable to hear from these same security agencies that the Election cannot be held in a State where in less than 24 hours, the President and all the APC leaders and members had an uninterrupted Rally”. “We are calling on the President, Muhammadu Buhari to caution the security agencies and direct them to provide full security, and also to desist doing anything that will jeopardize this forthcoming Gubernatorial Election in Edo State.