The election scheduled to hold on September 10 was shifted to September 28, following the advice of the Police and the Department of State Services on the matter, citing threats of attacks by insurgents that have terrorised the nation’s northeast in the last six years.
Professor Odinkalu said that the claims of the Police and DSS would have been more compelling if it had drawn on existing patterns of operations.
“Boko Haram has not run any operations in Edo state (and) there has been no bombing incident in Edo state since this administration has been in existence.
“Edo state has not been a major theatre of operations of any attacks,” he said.
While commending the progress made by the government and security agencies in the area of safety and security, he emphasized the need to truly earn the trust of Nigerians.
He explained that it would not be out of place for Nigerians to wonder how “an administration which has made progress in addressing safety and security in the most difficult parts of Nigeria in the northeast has got to run scared from elections in Edo state where there has been no recent history of operations by the insurgents”.
He added that the Edo security claim, coming “at a time when the same security agencies are flexing their muscles for citizens doing perfectly lawful things in Abuja, tasks credulity”.
He was referring to the incident in Abuja where security operatives prevented a peaceful procession of the BBOG campaigners on its way to see President Muhammadu Buhari, from reaching the Presidential Villa.
Prof. Odinkalu called on the Inspector-General of Police to pay attention to the negative message that the Edo election postponement would have sent to Nigerians, warning that if he wants to be trusted by the people, he has to do more.
There have been accusations that the ruling All Progressives Congress was behind the postponement of the election and Prof. Odinkalu believes that the suspicion is valid.
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