By Oladipo Airenakho
Benin City, Nigeria – As Edo people prepare to cast their votes at the September 10, 2016 gubernatorial election, there are strong indications that the nation’s electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) might succumb to pressure from the presidency to postpone the exercise.
Right now, the commission appears confused as to what to do in the midst of alleged undue influence from the Presidency.
Speculations about possible shift of the elections have been making the rounds since the last few days to the effect that the Directorate of State Security (DSS) and the Nigeria Police had in their security reports called for the postponement of the election, citing security concerns about likely disruption of the exercise by the Niger Delta Militants.
But earlier in the day, INEC National Commissioner on Voter’s Education and Publicity, Prince Solomon Soyebi, in an encounter with Alltimepost.com correspondent debunked such speculations when asked to comment in his hotel in Benin City.
The INEC officer and his colleagues are in Edo State ahead of the election scheduled for Saturday September 10, 2016.
Prince Soyebi said as far as he knew and was concerned, the election would not be cancelled or postponed because a lot have been put into preparation for the exercise.
Meanwhile, information reaching Alltimpost.com suggests that powerful forces in Edo State, especially Governor Adams Oshiomhole are in favor of the election shift due to apprehension of electoral humiliation and therefore using the power of the presidency to shift the poll.
Oshiomhole is alleged to have written to the Presidency seeking postponement of the election.
Alltimepost.com also gathered that the government may have orchestrated the students protest as it happened just about five days to the election that was scheduled months ago.
It would be recalled that during the protest, Oshiomhole assured the students that he would deliver their grievance to the presidency.
There was a stakeholders meeting in Benin today, presided over by INEC National Chairman, Mahmud Yakubu to have all parties interact, ask questions and sign a peace pact to make the election peaceful and violence-free.
Present at the meeting were Mr. Godwin Obaseki and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidates of All progressives Congress and People’s Democratic Party respectively.
Other candidates from other political parties were also present. Government Agencies represented included, Immigration Services, the Police and of course INEC Resident Electoral commissioner and his team were present at the meeting.
Immediately after the meeting ended, participants were recalled for another meeting, fueling speculation that the commission had finally been asked to postpone the election.
As at the time of this report, people were returning and waiting for the next round of the meeting where the decision to postpone the election was expected to be announced.
Tensions were rising at the meeting venue as people against the postponement were voicing their opinions.
At the second meeting, the INEC boss said he did not see any good reason to postpone the election, but did not make any decision on the issue. From all indications, INEC is fighting powerful forces seeking to shift the election.
Edo PDP gubernatorial candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu spoke strongly in support of the poll holding on the scheduled date.
He told INEC officials that the commission should come up with a decision swiftly on the issue, while rebuffing any attempt to shift the election.
As at the time of this report, Edo State government could not be reached for comments about its alleged involvement in the agitation for the postponement of the election.
