Don’t postpone Edo election, PDP tells INEC as APC dismisses report of opinion poll

Twelve days to the Edo State governorship election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to postpone the election which is scheduled for September 19.

Speaking in Benin City on Monday, the Edo State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Chris Nehikhare insisted that notwithstanding the pockets of violence here and there, the election must hold as scheduled.

INEC has warned of a constitutional crisis should it be forced to cancel Edo polls as a result of rising cases of violence by suspected thugs.

The spokesman warned the rival All Progressives Congress (APC) not to create crisis that could give INEC the opportunity to postpone the election.

Nehikhare accused the APC of contriving a strategy that would either lead to postponement of the election or a declaration of a state of emergency in the state as different opinion polls favour a PDP victory.

He said: “We want the election to hold and we will also like to remind INEC that the successes of the election is 100 per cent in their hands. For us in the PDP, we are committed to violent free and fair election as part of our commitment to Edo people.”

The state secretary the APC, Mr Chris Azebamwan, however, countered PDP’s claims insisting that the allegation of violence being perpetrated by his party supporters in order to have the election postponed was a figment of PDP’s imagination.

Going down memory lane, Azebamwan remarked that from the inauguration of the 17 members of the Edo State House of Assembly where seven suspected thugs were arrested by the police at the Assembly complex to the destruction of APC billboards and the series of shooting, it was obvious that the PDP had a penchant for violence.

He said: “Students of history could testify that APC has no history of violence. In the first and second elections of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, there were no reports of violence. It is Governor Obaseki and the PDP who introduced violence into Edo political landscape.

Azebamwan said that reports of opinion polls awarding victory to the PDP were mere fabrications cooked up the party to console itself as it will lose woefully.

“Our candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is presently busy campaigning and selling his SIMPLE agenda to Edo people. Why should we want the election postponed? All the indices point to an overwhelming victory for APC.”

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