INEC, Oshiomhole and Security Agencies Plotted Postponement Of Edo Election - Edo PDP

The Edo State PDP said last night that the phantom security advice given
by the Independent National Electoral Commission for postponing the Edo
governorship election earlier scheduled for this Saturday was orchestrated
in connivance with the Adams 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 this while responding to the decision by INEC to put off
the gubernatorial election, relying on the purported security advice by
the Nigeria Police Force and the Department Security Services.

According the PDP, ‘’For us, the move by Independent National Electoral
Commission (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 bye-election 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.

Describing the INEC’s action as ‘’lamentable, inexcusable and shameful’’,
PDP said it was sad to hear from these same security agencies that the Edo
governorship election could not be held in a state without a history of
security threat and where in less than 24 hours, the President and all the
APC leaders across the country had converged to hold their rally without
security concerns.

The party stated further, “We are therefore convinced that this phantom
security advice is orchestrated in connivance with the APC in the face of
imminent defeat in the governorship election.

‘’It will be recalled that a few weeks ago, I alerted the good people of
Edo State and the entire country that there were devious and evil plans to
postpone the election, and I alluded to the fact that it was a ploy by the
APC to destabilize the electoral process having sensed that the Edo people
were fully prepared to vote them out in the governorship election.’’

The party reminded all security agencies and INEC of their sacred duty and
civic responsibility to uphold the due process of law by refraining from
partisanship in all elections including the Edo governorship, emphasizing
that the people of Edo State are fully prepared to resist any evil plot to
manipulate the governorship election in favour of the APC.

It added: ‘’On my part and that of my great party, we have resolved to be
law abiding and to cooperate with the necessary authorities to ensure a
hitch-free election.

‘’May we use the opportunity to call on President Muhammadu Buhari—as
father of the nation who has benefited from the process of a free and fair
election, to caution the security agencies against plunging Edo State into
avoidable security crisis just to satisfy the vaunting ambitions of the
APC, Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his puppet candidate, Godwin Obaseki.

‘’We call on all eligible voters in Edo State to be rest assured that
whenever the governorship election holds, their votes shall count and will
be protected. The international community and election monitors should
also frown at the security agencies’ interference with the electoral
process aimed at compromising the independence of the INEC.

‘’Finally, we wish to declare that sovereignty remains with the people of
Edo State, and only they, and no one else, shall choose who their next
governor becomes.’’