The Edo State PDP said on Thursday 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.’’
