Delta LG Polls: Emerhor, Omo-Agege, Aginighan, others rejects exercise, describe it as a charade

By Shedrack Onitsha & Atevure Princess

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Prominent leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State have described the local council election held on Saturday as a charade and called for the cancellation of the exercise because it was marred by irregularities.

The APC leaders; Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Power Aginighan, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh and others, in their separates reactions on the outcome of the election, blamed the state governor for allegedly instigating the irregularities and compromising the exercise.

Addressing journalists at his country home at Evwerni, Ughelli North LGA, the 2015 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, called for the cancellation of the exercise as it has been compromised.

According to Emerhor “Two nights ago we had intelligence, particularly last night, that the sensitive materials would not be available for today (Saturday) election. In fact, we are aware from intelligence that they had started writing results for an election that had not been conducted. But as a responsible party, we decided to wait till today (Saturday) to find out.

“And as it happened in Ughelli North, that was how it happened in Ughelli South, Uvwie, Udu and in the whole of the Central; no sensitive material arrived at any place. Delta North the same thing happened. Even in Okowa’s local government, in Delta North, no sensitive material was made available.

“I can confidently tell you that the strategy of the Okowa government in this election was not to conduct an election. It was clear that they were afraid of being defeated in the field and therefore decided to take away the sensitive materials.’’

The poll was a complete sham -Omo-Agege  

The Senator represent Delta Central senatorial district, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege in his reaction said that he was disappointed with Dr. Okowa, noting that Okowa is not confident enough even with his smart agenda to conduct a free and fair election.

While describing the entire electoral process as a sham, the Senator while condemning DSIEC officials allowing themselves to be used to subverts the will of Deltans, noted that the burning down of DSIEC office at Ughelli was a spontaneous reaction of the electorate and not APC members.

According to Omo-Agege, “for almost three years, a man who brags on a failed smart agenda, we would have thought that he will be confident enough on his purported achievement to allow the electorate to decide who should be their counsellors and their chairmen.

“He knows he’s not on ground and cannot win the election on ground and have decided to hijack the result by conducting the election without the original result.  The electorate has right now become so enlightened and there’s no way they are going to sit down and allow Okowa to write the results or intrude as usual, that the reaction that you saw all across Delta central.

“As far as I know APC didn’t raised anywhere in DISEC office. The information I have is that the people of Ughelli North refused to be intimidated; they refuse to allow Okowa to write results of election and impose his crones on them. I think it’s a general reaction of the people and the entire electorate and not APC.

“APC members had nothing to do with it, what the Police should be looking at is that who caused this and why the people decided to raze that place, they should be looking at electoral officials who insisted on proceeding to conduct an election knowing full well that the original result sheet has been handled over to PDP officials in the local government on the instructions of the governor and his thugs.

“As far as am concern, it’s a spontaneous reaction. There comes a time where you push people to the wall and when they have no other option but to react and that is what you saw.

“Ughelli North is an epic central of Urhobo politics; you cannot come from Agbor and impose your will on the people of Urhobo Nation. It is not acceptable. That was the message that was sent to Okowa today, (Saturday).

“Like I said it’s a big shame. Okowa ought to know that, he was given a chance for three years, he has the opportunity to carry out program that would add positively to the live of people, and also showcasing projects of what he has done in the state, but it is a big shame to know that he has nothing to show but just media propaganda, and that is what the people are reacting to today.

The message to Okowa today is that if elections were rigged in Akwa Ibom and Enugu state and nothing happened, the Urhobo people from Delta are not the Enugu or Akwa Ibom people, we are very enlighten and determined, we are not averse to losing election, but we believe election must be conducted and those who won should  be declared winner.  That’s the message am sending to Okowa.”

So if it is true that they campaign why did they not bring the original result sheet, why were they scared?  I can speak authoritatively, that in a free and fair election in Delta Central, PDP will not win any election and that is why they have resorted to rigging the election.

“We are disappointed; it’s a big shame that in this era you will still be thinking as a sitting governor of writing result. Just like we resisted in Ughelli North, the people of Ethiope East who are of course Urhobos also resisted and because they were not allowed to write the result, the materials were not released to INEC office.

“We are organised opposition.  We are in touch with the grassroot and with the electorate. If they claim the same, they should come and conduct free and fair election and put the original materials down and if they defeat us we will accept.

“We are not saying we must win at all cost. We are saying they should do the right thing. If we will win declare us. If PDP win, of course which will never happen in Delta central, declare them,” Omo-Agege added.

On his part, a member of the APC caucus, Power Aginighan, said there was no election in the three councils of Bomadi, Patani and Burutu, alleging that materials meant for the exercise were diverted to an unknown location.

Aginighan stated, “I have it on good authority that, in an attempt to subvert the democratic will of the people, DSIEC officials assigned the responsibility to conduct the elections connived with the Peoples Democratic Party to rig the elections through a plot to fingerprint ballot papers in unknown locations and announce election results.

“I unequivocally condemn this primitive approach to politics and declare that the APC will reject any result that emanates from such a kangaroo process. I can categorically report that there was no election in Bomadi, Burutu and Patani LGAs.”

A former National Deputy Chairman of the PDP and now a chieftain of the APC, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, said the election was a fraud, adding that it didn’t hold in many polling units.

He blamed the state governor for allegedly instigating the irregularities, appealing to the state House of Assembly to commence the impeachment process of the governor.