•Demands cancellation of council poll
The Delta state chapter of the Progressives’ Congress (APC) has said it would boycott the local government council by-election scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, demanding that all results from Saturday’s elections be cancelled.
Chairman of the party in the state, Prophet Jones Erue, who announced the decision of the party to stay out of the by-election, reiterated the party’s earlier position that the ruling party in the state, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) connived with the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) to muddle up the process in order to deprive the electorate their right to a free and fair election.
Erue, who was surrounded by other leaders of the party, including the leader of the party in the state, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, however clarified that the APC would always be ready to participate in any election, across the 25 council areas of the state, when it is sure that the process would be free, fair and credible, demanding that the state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, and the DSIEC give Delta people a real election.
In the event that the DSIEC goes on to ignore the demands if the party, Erue said it would take all legal steps to ensure that all wrongs are righted. He also debunked insinuation that the party was divided over the step taken, saying he had the blessings of all the critical stakeholder of the party.
“For the record, I want to reiterate that the elections purportedly organized by the Okowa led PDP government in the entire State was a fraud. The Okowa Government rigged his own election by confiscating all sensitive election materials including result sheets and then
resorted to writing all the results and handing same to DSIEC to announce.
“In the attempt by the APC to insist on all materials including result sheets be provided to allow a free and fair election, the PDP resorted to violence that was witnessed throughout the 25 LGAs of the State. In summary no elections took place anywhere in Delta state.
“We demanded and still demand for a total cancellation of the sham elections in all the twenty-five LGAs in Delta State. To purportedly direct for a re-run in only two LGAs, Ughelli North and Ethiope East, is a subterfuge for the validation and authentication of the sham elections in the other twenty-three LGAs.
“In the circumstances, we therefore state as follows:
APC Delta State is and has always been prepared for the LGA elections. We condemn the grotesque and brazen sabotage of the will of the people of Delta State in the so-called election that Okowa and his lackeys in DSIEC organised last Saturday, January 6, 2018 in Delta State.
“We demand for the cancellation of the sham elections in all the 25 LGAs in Delta State and not only in Ughelli North and Ethiope East. We demand that Okowa and his DSIEC guarantee a free and fair election in a re-run that will take place in all the 25 LGAs of the State.
“We will therefore not participate in the elections in the two LGAs fixed for tomorrow, Tuesday, January 9, 2018.
For the avoidance of doubt, we are prepared, willing, and ready to participate in any free and fair election in all the 25 LGAs as the people of Delta State are ready to throw out the corrupt PDP government from Delta State, starting with the LGA elections”, Erue said.