Delta LG election:

Okowa expresses Satisfaction as winners sworn in   

*Election was fraudulent, no sensitive materials -APC

*Election peaceful, APC members caught with guns to disrupt process-PDP

By Kelvin Ohoror, Elo Edremoda and Eduje Martins

The DELTA State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the local government council election conducted on the 6^th January 2018 in the state. He stated this while swearing in the 23 local government council chairmen and vice chairmen where election took place, stressing that the reports reaching him indicates that the election was peaceful and commended the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, (DSIEC)

Okowa observed that, though, there were pockets of violence in some places especially at Ughelli were some suspected members of APC were said to have set DSIEC office ablaze and at Ndokwa East local government area where soldiers stopped some electoral officer from moving materials which was addressed immediately, noting that there was no cause for alarm, in overall, he gave kudos to DSIEC for performing to the expectation of the people.

The governor used the medium to charge the newly sworn in chairmen and councilors to discharge their duties faithfully in accordance to the wishes of the people who voted them in.

Meanwhile the APC through a press conference addressed by the leader of the party, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor has accused the PDP of manipulating election results to favour their candidates. He stressed that there was no election because the process was marred by violence and other fraudulent activities across the state, while noting that sensitive materials were not distributed by DSIEC to polling units, all to favour PDP candidates, stressing that there was no election.

Emerhor concluded that “there was no exercise so it is fraud and we will not accept fraud and we will not accept fraud. Of course, they are acting with impunity because they are in government in Delta state. There was no election, therefore nobody should be sworn in as having won any election”

A chieftain of APC, chief John Araka had accused PDP and DSIEC officials of manipulating councillorship result won by APC candidate to favour PDP candidate at Otor-Owhe, ward one in Isoko north local government area. Though, Araka noted that sensitive materials arrived on time and election was conducted peacefully in all the eight units, yet, the result were tempered with to favour the PDP candidate despite the fact that the result has been announced and APC candidate won.

On the other hand, the PDP had also accused APC of master minding the pockets of violence that led to the cancellation of two local government elections in the state by the DSIEC, noting that the aims of APC was to disrupt the election process because they were not ready to participate as they were not prepared. The PDP observed that the party went to all nooks and crannies of the state to campaign to sensitize the people on the needs to vote for their party because APC has no structure in the state, knowing fully well that they cannot win an election in the state they decided to disrupt election on the day of voting so as to have a ground of compliant.

Meanwhile APC has withdrawn from the rescheduled election in the two local governments of Ughelli north and Ethiope West where elections were cancelled citing electoral fraud and the PDP led administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as reasons.