•I feel the pains of this extension—Obaseki
•LP blasts security agencies

By Simon Ebegbulem

THE All Progressives Congress ,APC,  in Edo State, yesterday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC, of fixing a new date for the governorship election in the state without consulting stakeholders. This came as the Labour Party,LP,  berated security agencies in the country for allegedly creating tension with their advice on the poll.

Ize-Iyamu and Obasek

Also, there was heavy shooting at Okpella on Thursday night over the postponement. Commenting on the Okpella incident, running mate to the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Philip Shuaibu, said it was done by suspected thugs, who were not happy with the postponement.

He said: “It was the thugs imported into the state by PDP from Delta and Rivers states. In fact, our people ran to the police station but the heavy arms they had, made it impossible for the police to retaliate in order not to escalate the fight. They wanted bloodshed but we didn’t want that”.

Meanwhile, the state chairman of the APC, Mr. Anslem Ojezua at a press briefing yesterday, said INEC should have consulted stakeholders before arriving at a new date.

He said: ‘’It is with mixed feelings that I address you this morning on the postponement of the Edo State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC. First, the shift in the date of the election was announced without due consultation with the critical stakeholders including the All Progressives Congress ,APC.

‘’We believe that the timing and mode of communication by the security agencies could have been better handled. On our part, we have traversed the nooks and crannies of the state in the course of our electioneering campaigns and have been able to effectively market our candidates and our manifesto.

‘’However, having regards to the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, we are obliged to defer to the decision of INEC particularly when security threats have been cited as the reason for the postponement. Although we do not have the details from the security agencies we had, in the past, drawn attention to the influx of militants into Edo State from neighbouring states during the Continuous Voters Registration Exercise.

‘’Elections have largely been peaceful in Edo State since 2007 until the sudden interest of the governors of Rivers State and Delta State who are hell-bent on realizing the long-standing obsession of an individual to rule this state by all means. The postponement, therefore, provides an opportunity for the security agencies to address these concerns in addition to other threats they may have discovered.

“Finally, we wish to appeal to all our party members, supporters, sympathisers and indeed all indigenes of our great state to show understanding at this time because the security of lives and property must take priority over political aspiration.”

On the allegation that the postponement was masterminded by the APC, Ojezua asserted: “I think that is a very idiotic allegation because it does not make sense. This postponement does not confer any advantage on us. I have enumerated what we are losing by this postponement. As a matter of fact, APC is the only party that had transverse the length and breadth of this state.

Reacting to the development, the party’s governorship candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, said: “If you recollect, I ran a primary that was like the main election. I have actually been in the field in the last eight months campaigning. My opponents have not done as much work like I have done. If anybody feels the pain of this extension, I am the one who feels it the most.’’

On his part, the Publicity Secretary of LP, Comrade Sam Uroupa, said: “We expected that security agencies should have put themselves in order to ensure that it holds. The security agencies did not do well.  This is a test for the INEC chairman.”