The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo State, Mr. Sam Olumekun, has threatened to resign if there was any proof that he compromised Wednesday governorship election.
Mr. Olumekun insisted that the electoral body postponed the election because there was no security cover for electoral officials.
He spoke at a stakeholders meeting in Benin City.
The Edo REC denied allegations that the electoral body was out to do the bidding of a particularly and urged political parties to go out and convince people to vote for them.
He opined that the election should not made politicians turned the state into a war zone.
Olumekun informed the political parties that the commission would on Monday September 26, begin distribution of sensitive materials for the conduct of the Edo election.
He urged political parties to send their agents to the Central Bank of Nigeria in Benin City to monitor the distribution of the materials.
Olumekun noted that the presence of party agents at the distribution venue was to make sure that the ballot papers were not tampered with.
The Edo REC warned that those authorized to be at CBN were security operatives, party agents and collation officers.
His words, “For those politicians saying we postpone election, will you allow me to send your children to conduct election without security?
“Go and convince the people to vote for your party. INEC will not do anybody’s bidding. We are interested on who Edo people will choose as their leader.”
The newly Police Commissioner in Edo, Mr Haliru Abubakar Gwandu, debunked PDP allegations that he was in the state to do the biddings of a political party.
Gwandu promised to provide a level playing field for all political parties and
appealed to political parties to eschew violence and intimidation of electoral officials and ad-hoc staff.
He urged the people to stop seeing election as a do-or-die affair, adding that those who wants to invite thugs from neighbouring state should shun that act as security men are on ground.
