INEC says Edo guber election must GO ON

The Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) met on September 8,
Thursday, to decide on police postponement
call on Edo election.

Read below the statement from the Nigeria
Civil Society Situation Room:

“ The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room
(Situation Room) comprising more than
seventy Civil Society Organisations, is in
Benin-City to observe the Edo Governorship
Election.
“Situation Room expresses disappointment at
reports that the Nigeria Police and Directorate
of State Security (DSS) have advised INEC to
postpone the Edo Governorship election
scheduled for Saturday, 10th September 2016.
“Situation Room considers this advice as a
gratuitous and unconstitutional interference in
the independence of INEC. The advice is in
clear violation of S.160 (2) of the 1999
Constitution (as amended), which forbids any
person or authority from giving directives or
seeking to control INEC – it being an
independent body.

“It is surprising that the police and DSS who
are part of the Inter Agency Consultative
Committee on Elections Security (ICCES)
together with INEC, did not formally brief INEC
before issuing this contentious statement, to
enable all key stakeholders review whatever
security challenges the security services may
claim to have arisen.

“The advice by these security agencies has
undermined public confidence in the conduct
of the Edo state governorship poll. INEC now
faces a more challenging task of assuring all
parties that a revised poll can be properly
organized within a constitutionally stipulated
time frame.

“We call on the police, DSS, and all security
agencies to take note of their role and
limitations within elections and the inter-
agency co-ordination arrangements that have
been developed over several years.

“All elections must demonstrate the highest
possible commitment from security services to
support INEC in completing its constitutional
role of organising credible elections that can
inspire continued public confidence. Situation
Room expresses its disappointment at the
inability of security agencies to take charge
and provide security to citizens and to INEC to
enable it conduct free and fair elections.

“The present situation appears contrived and
threatens to truncate the democratic process
in Nigeria.

“Additionally, the huge material resources
committed to the preparations for the
elections by INEC, CSOS and other
stakeholders, appears to have been flushed
down the drain by the action of the Police and
the DSS.

“Situation Room believes that INEC has the
constitutional powers to proceed with its plans
to conduct the Edo State Governorship
elections as scheduled and calls on President
Muhammadu BUHARI to call the Police and
security services to order, as well as to give
their support to INEC to deliver on its mandate
of conducting free and fair Governorship
elections in Edo State as scheduled.

“Situation room implores INEC to be guided by
the provisions of the Electoral Act in relation to
postponement, which states that all reasons
must be cogent and verifiable.

Finally,
Situation Room calls on the people of Edo
State to remain calm and vigilant and be ready
to protect their constitutional rights to vote!

“The Situation Room is made up of Civil
Society Organisations (CSOs) working in
support of credible and transparent elections
in Nigeria and includes such groups as Policy
and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN
Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for
Democracy and Development (CDD), Enough is
Enough Nigeria, WANGONET, Partners for
Electoral Reform, JDPC and Youth Initiative for
Advocacy, Growth & Advancement (YIAGA).
Others are Development Dynamics, Human
Rights Monitor, Election Monitor, Reclaim
Naija, Institute for Human Rights and
Humanitarian Law, CITAD, CISLAC and several
other CSOs numbering more than seventy.”

Earlier the source in the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) has told Sahara
Reporters that the governorship election
scheduled for September 10 in Edo state
would be postponed.
According to the source, the main reason for
postponement is the security advice that was
given by the Nigerian Police and the
Department of State Security.
Four national INEC commissioners and the
Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu have not
been able to get further information from the
Inspector General of the Police and the
Director General of the DSS as they have
denied to give further information on the
security threats that led to their advice.

The main electoral body is seriously
considering demobilizing its staff and
resources deployed for the poll.
Nigerian police have stopped providing police
personnel to assist INEC officials in distributing
sensitive election materials since the security
advice was given yesterday, the source said.

The Department of State Services and Nigeria
Police Force have on September 7,
Wednesday, advised the INEC to shift the
governorship election, quoiting security
concerns as the reason for the request.

The Peoples Democratic Party reacting to the
calls for postponement of the electoral
exercise has accused the APC of plotting to
move the election due to fear of losing the
poll.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who visited the
state for the All Progressives Congress final
mega rally on September 6, Tuesday, has
congratulated Godwin Obaseki , the Edo APC
governorship candidate in advance.