The Delta State re-run gubernatorial
election ordered by the Court of Appeal in Benin was yesterday held
cross the state amid tight security and pockets of violence.
Attahiru Jega, chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who went round some
of the polling stations, threatened to cancel results of local
government areas where incidents of violence and ballot snatching were
reported and confirmed.
Mr. Jega, who monitored elections in
some polling centres in Warri and Ughelli axis during the election, did
not hide his displeasure with the violence and electoral malpractices.
During a visit to Ughelli North local government where the INEC
secretariat was torched on Tuesday, he expressed regrets over the
manner the election was being conducted.
Although not officially confirmed, there are strong indications that the result of the election in the area may be cancelled.
Early lead
Fourteen parties
are fielding candidates in the election. These are Emmanuel Uduaghan of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose election as governor was
quashed by a Court of Appeal; Ovie Omo-Agege of the Republican Party of
Nigeria (RPN); Great Ogboru, Democratic Peoples Party DPP); Peter
Oghenevwogaga, Accord Party; Ngozi Agbogbo, African Democratic Congress
; Veronica Musu, All Nigeria Peoples Party; Chief Onokpite, Citizens
Popular Party; and Emmanuel Mafiana, Democratic Peoples Alliance.
Others are Donald
Chukwuemaka, Justice Party; Abel Edijala, Labour Party; Johnson Boghudu
of the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy; Patrick
Okenwagho, National Majority Democratic Party; Erobuke Alordiah,
Progressive Peoples Alliance and Igbini Emmanuel, Peoples Republican
Party.
Reports from some
collating centres late last night put Mr. Ogboru in early lead, but
results from the riverside communities were yet to be known as at the
time of filing this report.
In all, the turnout
of voters was impressive at the various polls visited. Also observed
was the peaceful manner in which the electorate conducted themselves in
some of the polling centres visited. This does not, however, rule out
reports of minor skirmishes in some polling units where there was
attempt to snatch ballot boxes.
Quite a number of
registered voters who came out in their large numbers to exercise their
civic duty were stranded in some of the polling units as their names
did not appear on the records of the INEC officials assigned to the
polling unit where they had earlier registered.
George Timinimi, a
former commissioner of water resources expressed fear over the flaws
recorded in the voter registration, noting that with the lapses
inherent in the register, there’s no likelihood of a credible election.
The former
commissioner, whose name was in the register but his picture and age
were that of a 23 year-old student, called on INEC to provide a
credible voter register especially in the Ijaw area of the state.
Besides this, there
were also reports of violence recorded in some places as youth loyal to
the PDP and DPP clashed over electoral issues.
Not enough security
Although some
voters complain of inadequate security in some of the remote
communities, security was tight in some of the towns identified to be
volatile as armoured personnel carriers were deployed on the streets to
checkmate any breakdown of law and order even as security agents
conducted themselves with decorum.
Commanding Officer,
Nigeria Naval Ship (NNS), Henry Babalola, a Commodore, said the Navy
deployed MI 109 to lift materials and personnel to the riverside
communities, particularly Burutu , Ode-Itsekiri, and Bennet Island,
adding that manta and jetty boats were used to escort the materials to
the areas.
He denied
allegations that Naval officials stopped agents of the opposition
parties from going to the communities to exercise their voting rights.
According to Mr. Babalola, voters who could identify themselves and
workers of organisations were allowed a safe passage on the waterways
while those who could not identify themselves were turned back.
“There was no
incident of security breach. Security was beefed up so that we could
achieve a peaceful election as you know this is a test run for the
April general election,” he said.
A leader of RPN in
Warri South, Yemi Omawumi, lamented the hijack of materials by thugs
allegedly working for PDP, saying that they will send a protest letter
to INEC, calling for the cancellation of the results.
“Jega is not a
magician to know what is happening. Rather than taking one step
forward, we are taking many steps backward,” he lamented.
The PDP running
mate in the re-run election, Amos Utuama, has lauded the peaceful
conduct of the polls. The former deputy governor who cast his vote at
12.53 pm at Unit 4 of Jeremi Ward in Ughelli South local government
area made the remark while fielding questions from reporters.
He lauded INEC and the various security agencies for the orderly manner voting was conducted.
“INEC has done very
well in their mobilization since yesterday. The materials arrived quite
early and information reaching me is that all parts of the local
government (Ughelli South) have been covered,” he said.
Mr. Utuama also
commended the voters for conducting themselves orderly and also for
their diligence in keeping their voters register since 2007 when the
last voter registration exercise was held.
The Court of Appeal
sitting in Benin had on November 9, nullified the election of Mr.
Uduaghan and ordered INEC to conduct fresh elections in the state
within 90 days.
The nullification
was the result of the appeal brought by Mr. Ogboru against the election
of Mr. Uduaghan, who has governed the state since 2007.
The five-man
Election Tribunal sitting in Asaba had dismissed the petition filed by
Mr. Ogboru challenging the election, in an unanimous decision. The
tribunal held that the petitioner failed to prove that there was no
election in most of the voting centres, as alleged in his petition, and
that he also failed to prove a case of gross rigging. But the Appeal
Court heeded his prayer and nullified Mr. Uduaghan’s election.
