Edo election: INEC insists election will hold as scheduled

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday said that the Edo governorship election will hold as scheduled.

INEC National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Solomon Soyebi said this while speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Benin City, the state’s capital.

He said the election would hold irrespective of whether the West African Senior School Certificate Examination is holding the same day.

Some of the candidates had protest over the development on Monday.

However, INEC has said it had given adequate notification on the date for the election prior to the date fixed for the examinations.

He explained, “It is important to draw your attention to the fact that INEC gave notice of this election on March 2, 2016. There was no registration for WASSCE candidates as of that time.”

INEC boss, Mahmood Yakubu has also said  WAEC has agreed to move the examination to Ondo and Delta states.

Yakubu said, “The issue is, basically, security. So, the security agencies advised WAEC accordingly that giving room for people to move around may pose some challenges because many people will cash in on the situation.

“Permit me to remind you also that there are about 1.9 million registered voters ‎in Edo State, whose interest also should be taken care of. At the end of that meeting, we agreed that the exams be shifted outside Edo State to places that are nearby.”

“Indeed, WAEC had even concluded arrangements to do this. It suggested Ore, Agbor and one other place. Yes, there might be some inconveniences for the students to travel outside Edo State; but, of course, it is not too much pain to bear if you have your state at heart.”

“I do not think we need to suspend an election because WAEC is going to conduct GCE. It is not SSCE but GCE for those who did not do well in the past exams‎,” the INEC chairman added.

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