DSS, Police Want INEC to Postpone Edo Governorship Election

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Wednesday, September 7th, 2016

…As Fayose Kicks, Says “Democracy Now in Danger Under APC”

By Ganiyu Nasirudeen

ABUJA, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Possibility of the postponement of this Saturday Edo State Governorship election is getting more real, as two different security agencies, including the Nigerian Police Force and Department of State Security (DSS) have called for the shift of the exercise for security reasons.

Already, there is a stalemate between the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and West African Examinations Council (WAEC) with regards to one shelving its exercise for the other, as the WAEC candidates are writing one of the crucial papers (Mathematics) the same day (Saturday, September 12, 2016) of Edo governorship election.

At a press briefing in Abuja Wednesday, DSS and Police clarified that their call to the INEC for the shifting was due to threats by the militant groups, insurgents and extremists to launch attacks between September 12 and 13, 2016.

The briefing was addressed by the Police Spokesperson Mr. Don Awunah and his DSS counterpart Garba Abdullahi.

On their parts, both INEC and WAEC have said shifting the exercise was not feasible, as WAEC argued that its examinations were not peculiar to Nigeria alone.

As a way out, it is being proposed that the Edo State candidates should be moved to Ondo State to write the paper which clashed with the election.

Meanwhile, Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has condemned the call for the postponement of the Edo State governorship election by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Police.

He said “It is obvious that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is challenged and afraid of losing the election and the party is using the federal government security agencies to cause a postponement of the election so as to be able to perfect its new rigging plans.”

The governor, who raised the alarm that “democracy is in danger” under the APC government, said; “obviously, within two years of APC government, Nigeria is in both economic and political recession and
this should worry all true lovers of the country.”

“Within two years, the APC government not only destroyed the economy of Nigeria, it has destroyed the legacy of free, fair and credible electoral process bequeathed on the country by the PDP.”

“The questions Nigerians must ask the APC-led federal government are; what security threat can overcome over 50,000 security personnel in an election holding in just one out of the 36 States in Nigeria? If election must be postponed in just one State because of security threat, what will then happen in 2019 when elections will be conducted in the entire country?

“Another question is; were they unaware of the security challenge when President Mohammadu Buhari went to Edo State to campaign for the APC yesterday?

“No doubt, this is a game being played by the APC because it has become so imminent that the party cannot win the election if it is held on Saturday as scheduled.

“The postponement is obviously meant to give room for the APC to perfect a new rigging strategy and lovers of democracy in Nigeria, should begin to see how the APC aims at perpetuating itself in power
beyond 2019 even now that the party has been rejected by Nigerians.”