The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate in the governorship election in Edo rescheduled to hold on Sept. 28, Osaro Onaiwu, has called for further shift of the exercise to October 1.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last Thursday announced the postponement of the election fixed for Saturday September 10, following insecurity alert by security agencies.
Mr. Onaiwu told journalists in Benin on Monday that a further shift in the date of poll was necessary as Sept. 28 was the day students sitting for the ongoing General Certificate of Education (GCE) across the country would write Physics.
He said Oct.1 was the “earliest possible date” for the election.
Mr. Onaiwu said the shift would afford eligible voters among the students to participate in the election.
According to him, education is number one pillar in APGA’s manifesto, and the authorities must be wary of threats from some of the students that they would sue INEC if they were prevented from voting in the election.
On the claim by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the election was postponed because it was obvious that the party would win, the APGA candidate said that such claim was a mere presumption.
He slammed the PDP for insisting that the election should have been allowed to go on.
“Are we going to wait for what happened in Rivers? PDP is crying because they know what we don’t know.
“Since security agencies said the election was not possible and INEC has shifted it, everybody should abide,” he said.
(NAN)
