Edo Guber: APGA Wants Poll On Independence Day

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate in the governorship election in Edo State, Mr Osaro Onaiwu, has called for further shift of the exercise from September 28 to October 1.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last Thursday announced the postponement of the election fixed for last Saturday to September 28, following insecurity alert by security agencies.
Onaiwu told newsmen in Benin City, the state capital, Monday, that further shift in the date of poll was necessary as September 28 was the day students sitting for the ongoing General Certificate of Education (GCE) across the country would write Physics.
He said that October 1 was the “earliest possible date” for the election, even though, that date naturally marks a significant milestone as the Independence Day for Nigeria.
Onaiwu said that 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 State? 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.
Onaiwu did not, however, explain how Edo people would observe the Independence Day celebrations, which is usually commemorated as a public holiday, with many official activities.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria