The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room) comprising more than seventy Civil Society Organisations, is in Benin-City to observe the Edo Governorship Election. “Situation Room expresses disappointment at reports that the Nigeria Police and Directorate of State Security (DSS) have advised INEC to postpone the Edo Governorship election scheduled for Saturday, 10th September 2016. “Situation Room considers this advice as a gratuitous and unconstitutional interference in the independence of INEC. The advice is in clear violation of S.160 (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which forbids any person or authority from giving directives or seeking to control INEC – it being an independent body. “It is surprising that the police and DSS who are part of the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Elections Security (ICCES) together with INEC, did not formally brief INEC before issuing this contentious statement, to enable all key stakeholders review whatever security challenges the security services may claim to have arisen. “The “advice” by these security agencies has undermined public confidence in the conduct of the Edo state governorship poll. INEC now faces a more challenging task of assuring all parties that a revised poll can be properly organized within a constitutionally stipulated time frame. “We call on the police, DSS, and all security agencies to take note of their role and limitations within elections and the inter-agency co-ordination arrangements that have been developed over several years. “All elections must demonstrate the highest possible commitment from security services to support INEC in completing its constitutional role of organising credible elections that can inspire continued public confidence. Situation Room expresses its disappointment at the inability of security agencies to take charge and provide security to citizens and to INEC to enable it conduct free and fair elections.


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