Protests, low turnout trail Delta council election

…as DSIEC declares PDP candidates winners

The Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC), yesterday, declared all Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidates winner of Saturday council’s elections.

“By powers vested in me, I hereby declare the chairmanship candidates of the PDP as the winner of their respective elections, clinched 499 councilorship, and Allied People Movement (APM) one seat.”

DSIEC chairman, Jerry Agbaike, who announced the results in Asaba, the Delta State capital, said that the Allied People Movement (APM) councilorship candidate of Oshimili North won a seat, while Udu Council candidate, Vincent Oyibode, was returned unopposed as opposition candidates stepped down before the election was conducted. Agbaike immediately issued a certificate of return to the winners.

However, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori will today swear in the newly elected chairmen. A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Protocol, Government House, Asaba, A.N. Tetsola, said that the swearing-in will commence at 10:00 a.m. at the Event Centre, Asaba.

“Kindly be informed that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori will preside over the swearing-in of the newly elected chairmen and their vices of the 25 councils in the state on Monday (today), July 15, 2024, at Event Centre Asaba at 10:00 a.m.

The South-South Vice Chairman of Labour Party, Tony Ezeagwu, described the electoral process as a joke. He claimed that several ad-hoc staff of the DSIEC were certified card-carrying members of PDP.

MEANWHILE, the elections were reportedly characterised by protests, low turnout of voters amid tight security. While monitoring the exercise at Okpanam, Oshimili North and Asaba, The Guardian observed that the election was, however, peaceful at Okpanam DSIEC Ward 13, Units 3 and 30.

Election materials arrived late in some polling units, while some were yet to get theirs as of noon, despite assurances by the Chairman of the DSIEC, Jerry Agbaike, a few days before the election, that materials were ready, dispatched to various locations, and that elections will commerce exactly 8:00 a.m. across board.

At Uzoigwe Primary School, Asaba, in Oshimli South Local Council, materials arrived at Ward 11 and 20 at exactly 10:45 a.m. amid security operatives who were already on the ground.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Ward 9, Austin Ngbeze, attributed the late arrival of materials to the early morning rains, noting that the situation may not be the same in other parts of the state, as DSIEC had earlier deployed materials to those areas on time.

Speaking with journalists, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate of Aniocha North, Dr. Richard Ebiechukwudi Anene, said: “There was no election held here.”

He described the development as an affront to democracy, which, to him, is worse than anarchy. Other opposition parties’ stalwarts lamented the conduct of the election and immediately threw in the towel, citing electoral fraud by the election umpire.

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