Few hours after it announced that Edo governorship election will go ahead as scheduled, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reversed itself.
A top official in the Commission confirmed that the election earlier slated for Saturday, September 10, has now been postponed by two weeks.
The National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity Committee, Prince Solomon Atoyebi, had told newsmen few hours ago that INEC will not take order from any agency.
According to him, the Commission had reached 97% preprartion hence, would go ahead with the election as scheduled on Saturday, September 10, 2016.
Recall that the Police and Department of State Services (DSS) had on Wednesday advised INEC to postpone the election.
The two agencies in a joint statement said they were in possession of credible intelligence report that insurgents may attack soft targets during the election.
“While election is important, the security agencies cannot allow the peace of the country to be disrupted, and we will continue to remain vigilant and ensure consolidation of the successes gained in the current counter-insurgency fight.
“ It is in regard of these that 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 in Edo State in order to enable security agencies deal decisively with the envisaged terrorist threats.
“While the Police/DSS remain mindful of the inconveniences this request may cause the various political stakeholders, it is our strong resolve that security agencies need not be distracted from ensuring a peaceful and secured Nigeria now and always,” the statement reads in part.
