… It is a bad sign for democracy – Fayose
… It is a coup against Nigerians – PDP
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had postponed Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State to Wednesday, 28th September.
Announcing the shift in the election, the National Commissioner, Voter Education and Publicity of INEC, Prince Solomon Soyebi, said the Commission’s earlier decision to insist on the earlier scheduled 10th September date was because no official communication was received from security agencies.
Shoyebi said INEC received official communication from security agencies at about 6:00pm on Thursday, drawing the Commission’s attention to the importance of postponing the election following threats of terrorists’ activities in Edo and other states.
“The communication indicates that deployment of security personnel across the country to secure lives and property would over stretch their capacity while at the same time providing adequate security for the election,” he said.
“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, September 28.”
Fayose kicks: It is a bad signal for democracy
Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose raced to condemn INEC for the postponement, describing it as a bad signal for the country’s democracy. He said the action could symbolize the beginning of the end of the nation’s democracy.
“It is obvious that the All Progressives Congress (APC) feared that it can’t win the election and is ready to employ whatever crude means to subvert the wish of the people,” he said.
The governor, who said he was alarmed by the APC government of President Mohammadu Buhari’s use of security agencies to arm-twist democratic process said he warned Nigerians about it.
“I warned Nigerians not to elect Buhari because he lacked capacity mentally, morally and intellectually to superintend over any civilised society, now we are all seeing the results. Our economy is in recession and democracy is also in recession,” Fayose added.
In a statement on Thursday, signed by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said INEC knew that it was not going to conduct the election on Saturday as scheduled but opted to deceive Nigerians.
He said apart from the security agencies that they instructed not to provide security for the election, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was under instruction since yesterday (Wednesday) not to release electoral materials to INEC.
“It was just a game by the APC-led federal government to frustrate the people of Edo State from kick-starting the journey of changing the APC one-chance change in Nigeria, but they should realise that the power of the people will always be greater than the power of those in power,” he said.
“How can you postpone an election less than 48 hours to the scheduled date? What manner of security concern could prevent an election in just one State when elections were held in Northeast States that are confronted by Boko Haram insurgents?”
He held that it was becoming obvious that INEC would do the same thin in 2019. He warned Nigerians not to be amazed if in 2019, they are told that elections cannot be conducted.
“This is sad! It is a sad commentary for democracy in Nigeria and I only hope this Buhari’s APC government will not collapse democracy in this country,” the governor said.
While calling on the people of Edo State to remain steadfast in their resolve to vote out the APC government, which has become a government of hunger, poverty, job loss, economic and political recession, insecurity and unprecedented sufferings, Fayose said the party was only postponing its evil day.
“Let them keep postponing their evil day, Edo people should just be vigilant and wait patiently for that day that they will use their votes to change the APC one-chance change,” he added.
Postponement is a coup against Nigerians − PDP
In its own reaction, the national leadership of the PDP described the postponement of the election as illegal, saying it’s a coup against the people.
The party, in a statement by its spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the date should be kept sacrosanct, stressing that there were no tangible reasons to tamper with the election.
Adeyeye said: “The call for the postponement of the election by top hierarchy of the security agencies predicated on alleged security threat was a less than ingenious attempt to buy time for the APC which is clearly heading for a major electoral catastrophe on Saturday.
“It is shameful and indeed a major constitutional breach for the security agencies to act in concert with the APC to truncate an election that had been planned for months.
“Nigerians were not deceived by the obvious concoctions of the security agencies whose performances during elections have been less than average since the advent of the Buhari administration.
“Indeed they have become instruments in the hands of the ruling party to harass, intimidate and punish opponents.”
The PDP called on the President and the National Assembly to conduct a non -partisan and holistic review and investigation of the national security apparatus to save the nation’s fledgling democracy.
Initial plan
INEC had planned to deploy 18,511 personnel for the election earlier scheduled for 10th September.
Edo state which is made up of 1) Local Government Areas (LGAs), has a total of 1,925,105 registered voters; 192 Registration Areas (RAs); 2,627 Polling Units (Pus); and 4,011 Voting Points (VPs).
The Commission had deployed a Returning Officer; 18 Local Government Area Collation Officers; 192 Registration Area Collation Officers; 263 Supervisory Presiding Officers; 2,627 Presiding Officers 12, 036 Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs) I, II and III; 2,530 Assistant Presiding Officers (VP); 728 Reserve APOs; 19 LGA Supervisors + 1 HQ Reserve; and 97 RA Cluster Supervisors + HQ 1 Reserve (2RAs/Supervisor).
Apart from the security reasons given, the West African Examination Council Senior Secondary School leaving Certificate Exams earlier scheduled for the day has also been seen as many as a valid reason for postponement.