No plans to postpone Edo guber poll, says INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, dismissed insinuations in some quarters that it was planning to further postpone the Edo State Governorship election yet again.

The Commission emphatically declared that it has no plan, whatsoever, to postpone the September 28 governorship election in the state.

The election was initially billed to hold on Saturday, September 10, before it was later postponed few days to that date following advice from the Nigeria Police and the Directorate of State Security Services, DSS.

The Prof Mahmud Yakubu-led INEC, while reacting to speculations that the gubernatorial election may again be postponed for the second time as a result of the planned inauguration of the Oba of Benin, said that there was nothing like that..

The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi said yesterday that the commission was currently in the process of conducting a risk assessment and security mapping of the state as a prelude to commencement of final deployment for the election.

According to Oyekanmi, “There is no plan to postpone the election again at this point in time. Nigerians should disregard such speculations.

“If we are postponing the election, the public will be informed well on time,” he said.

The commission, he pointed out, is about to commence the processes leading to the final deployment of men and materials for the Edo poll.

Also, the INEC Deputy Director in charge of Voter Education and Publicity Department, Mr Nick Dazang equally dismissed the talk of any further postponement of the election.

Mr Dazang explained that INEC was presently strategizing on how to deliver a free, credible and transparent governorship election in Edo state.

According to him, “We are in the process of holding another stakeholders forum before the election date of September 28”