UPDATED: INEC postpones Edo election to Sept 28

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed the Edo state governorship election to September 28

Solomon Soyebi, INEC national commissioner in-charge of voter education and publicity, made the disclosure on Thursday during a press conference at INEC’s office in Benin.

He attributed the postponement to alleged security threat as reported by the security agencies.

Citing security reasons, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police had advised the commission to shift the poll, but the commission said it was “97 percent ready” for the election, and there was no going back.

“After carefully weighing all the consequences and parameters of postponing the Edo governorship election as advised yesterday by spokespersons of the Police and Directorate of State Security (DSS), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has decided to go ahead with the conduct of the election as scheduled for Saturday, 10th September 2016,” Nick Dazang, INEC’s director of voter education, had said in a statement.

“Except the actual conduct of the election, the commission has scrupulously implemented all the items listed in the Timetable And Schedule of Activities for the EDO governorship election which it issued in March this year.”

Godwin Obaseki, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are the frontrunners for the election.

The PDP has condemned the postponement, describing it as an indication that the nation’s democracy is under threat.