Why we rescheduled Edo elections to Sept. 28 – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday announced that the date of the Edo governorship election has been rescheduled to hold on September, 28, 2016, due to security reasons. INEC boss, Mahmood Yakubu   The electoral body made the announcement at exactly 8:00pm, during a press conference in Benin, Edo State.
Recall that the Nigeria Police Force ( NPF) and the Department of State Services (DSS), yesterday, appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission to postpone the Edo governorship election scheduled for Sept. 10, citing security threat.


According to the force Spokesman, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Don Awunah, who made the joint call on behalf of the police and the DSS in Abuja, he said, credible intelligence available to the agencies indicated plans by insurgent and extremist elements to attack vulnerable communities and soft targets. Awunah said that Edo was among the states being earmarked for the planned attacks by the extremists between Sept. 12 and 13 respectively. He said that while election was important, security agencies cannot allow the peace of the country to be disrupted. ”

 We will continue to be vigilant and ensure consolidation of the successes gained in the current counter-insurgency fight. “It is in these regard that we we are appealing to INEC which has the legal duty to regulate elections in the country to consider the need for possible postponement of the date of the election,” he said.