Posted on: 05:18 Sat, 10 Sep 2016



Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has frowned at the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to postpone the state’s governorship election slated for this Saturday.

Speaking while receiving a team of European observers led by Ben Llewellyn-Jones, of the British High Commission, at the State Government House, Benin City, on Friday, the governor urged INEC to always confer with stakeholders before taking such decisions.

Recall that INEC had yesterday postponed the state governorship election slated for this Saturday on the ground of insecurity.
But reacting to INEC’s decision, Oshiomhole said “The confusion yesterday, nobody is as troubled as me, first because we are fighting a people who have a lot of money and we simply don’t have such money and we made our preparations. Even as a sitting Governor, I have combed every village; we have 192 political wards across 18 Local Governments in three Senatorial districts. I have gone round all 192 wards.

“We had a peaceful campaign and crowned it up with a grand finale on Tuesday. All of a sudden, this development leading to cancellation came.

“I am much more determined than anybody that having been here for eight years, I have a duty to sustain the tradition. According to Oshiomhole.

“For us, it has been a celebration of democracy. I do hope the security agencies will do everything possible and that INEC in making the decision carries stakeholders along. Again now, they have fixed a date. I heard two versions on television.

“You would expect that if INEC is in this territory holding a meeting that will involve the people of this state, and that courtesy demands that they should consult. Yes, they have prerogative but whoever has prerogative should exercise it with wisdom, and in democracy, no one is too good to have such power to impose without consulting with those you are fixing the date for.

“So, if you meet INEC, encourage them to consult more before decisions are taken, rather than they making the decision and trying to transplant it through the throat of people, and then you run into controversies that are completely avoidable and regrettable. I do welcome you and appreciate you for the election.”