The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Delta State

  • Political leaders hail conduct of elections in Delta

    Political leaders in Delta state have commended the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

    While the former governor of the state and the candidate for the Delta South Senatorial District, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, said Nigerians have finally been given the chance truly vote, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Chief Great Ogboru, and the leader of the Mainstream Delta APC, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, expressed excitement over the smooth run of the exercise.

    Dr Uduaghan, while casting his vote at about 1:00pm in Koko Ward 6, unit 2 of Abigborodo, said the successful conduct of the exercise meant that democracy had come to stay in Nigeria, warning those who might have ambitions that could lead to violence to reign their ambitions in.

    “From what I have seen, it is quite good and I hope it will be like that in other parts of the country. Nigerians are anxious to vote and we give them the opportunity. Democracy has come to stay and we will do everything to make democracy to succeed in Nigeria. The accreditation and voting process have been very good.

    “I advised those who are very ambitious to weigh the gain and effect of their ambition, when you see that it will lead to violence, please control your ambition, four years is not too long,” he said.

    Read Also: Delta youths endorse Atiku, Okowa others

    Also speaking to journalists after casting his vote at Abraka ward 1, unit 8, expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari would win the election, adding that he was excited the process had been peaceful.

    “The environment is quite peaceful, and I just voted, though there were rumours of some technical issues about the machines, though, l have no iota doubt about the victory of APC candidates.

    “l know we shall win, and I hope that the elections will be peaceful in other places, I heard that people are still trying to snatch ballot boxes in some places, but I don’t see the need for that when the election is peaceful,” Ogboru said.

    The leader of the Mainstream Delta APC, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, also speaking journalists after casting his vote at Ewvreni ward 8, unit 5, encouraged his people to be patient in the face of the logistics challenges experienced in the earlier part of the exercise.

    “Everybody is excited because we have the opportunity now, to elect the President and National Assembly members of our choice.

    “Based on some logistics relating to transportation,  they started late,  but I think they will extend the time,  so that everybody can vote,  am also a bit concerned about the time allocated to each person to vote, I hope the machine will pick up so it would be faster,

    “I encourage my unit, ward and local government and the state at large to be patient because this is important and will also give directions to the country,” Emerhor said.

  • Three killed, two injured at Sapele

    At least three persons were feared dead and two others badly injured at a polling units in Amukpe area of Sapele town, Sapele council area of Delta state on Saturday.

    Although most residents of the area who were found on the scene of the incident were unwilling to volunteer details of what happened for fears of becoming targets of the perpetrators of the attack, a source said those killed were victims of suspected armed thugs.

    The Nation gathered that some armed persons emerged from the blues and opened fire on the voters who were on the queue, killing two persons instantly.

    Three persons were reportedly rushed to the hospital, one of which reportedly died later.

    Efforts to gather more details concerning the identities of the victims or whether the killers went away with election materials were fruitless as those met at the scene refused to talk to journalists.

    Read also: Ballot box snatching, insufficient materials mar election in Imo

    An anonymous source, who spoke to The Nation at the scene of the incident, said the killers surfaced and started shooting at about 12:55pm.

    According to him: “I’m not sure if they carted election materials away but I saw that the ground of the place was littered with election materials, giving me the impression that they only scattered the materials”.

    However, when reached for confirmation, the Delta state Commissioner of Police, Adeleke Adeyinka, could not confirm the incident.

    He said he wanted to get across to the people on the ground in Amukpe before he could say anything.

    Another reliable security source confirmed the development to The Nation, saying “immediately we heard of the situation, we moved in to take over the area so as to stabilize it and prevent a further escalation of the situation”.

    Meanwhile, voting was relatively peaceful in most other polling units as voters were seen casting their votes.

    For instance, Sapele ward 7, units 7 and 8, along Ugberikoko Road, voters were still casting their votes at 2:09pm.

  • Police charge Okowa’s ex-aide, two others

    The Delta State Police Command said it has charged an ex-aide  of Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, Friday Eluro, and two others to court.

    In a statement by the command’s acting public relations officer, ASP Chuks Oresewezie, the police said the suspects were charged at an Ashaka Magistrate Court on 18th February.

    Oresewezie said the suspects were arrested following a trending video of a woman that was stripped naked and tortured.

    Read Also: Okowa orders sack of aide for assault

    The statement further alleged that the ex- aide “have more than 20 boys in his compound, whom he uses for his nefarious activities.”

    It added: “Friday Eluro and two others were charged of abduction, torture, and dehumanizing treatment of the victim”.

    The statement said the suspects have been remanded in Kwale prison.

  • Police arrest lawmaker’s brother, two others, for unlawful possession of arms

    The police in Delta state says it has arrested three, including a younger brother to the lawmaker representing Udu constituency in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Peter Uviejitobor, for alleged possession of arms.

    The suspects, Akpevwe Uviejitobor, David Ukiri and Alfred Joseph, were according to a statement by the police, apprehended by officers deployed to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to secure electoral materials.

    The statement which was signed by the Acting Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Orisewejie Chuks, revealed that the trio claimed to be  vigilante members, detailed by their “chairman” to escort electoral materials.

    Expressing shock over the level at which voluntary organizations are meddling into security matters, especially as it concerns the 2019 elections, the police reiterated that it is no business of theirs to provide security during the polls.

    Recall that the police had banned vigilante groups from engaging in matters of elections only few days back.

    The statement added that only the Nigerian Police, Army, Navy, Civil Defence, Federal Road Safety, Immigration, Air Force and DSS are tasked with security responsibility in the course of the voting exercise.

    It further cautioned stakeholders who have or plan to use the services of private security agents, volunteers, vigilante guards for the purpose of securing or escorting electioneering materials to halt such plans, adding that, “any such armed private security personnel in whatever form or guise will be approximately dealt with”.

    The suspects, The Nation gathered, have been moved to the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, for further interrogations.

    Reacting to the development, the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), House of Assembly Candidate in the area, Mr. Benjamin Sharta, said the arrest confirmed their “claims,” that some persons intend to hijack the electoral process.

    Commending the police for being proactive, Sharta stated that the arrests will help secure the people’s mandate and ensure peace in the area.

    Calling on Udu people to come out en masse to vote, he said, “I want to thank the Police Force because at first, we were thinking that nobody will come out on the voting day to cast their votes. Every normal Nigerian must exercise his civic duty. This alone will make Udu people come out en masse to vote for their various choices.

    “What other persons have been thinking is how to disrupt votes with their arms which they bought but by the help and intelligence of the Police Force, God has vindicated our claims. Because when we were telling some persons, they were thinking that we were just trying to play tricks.

    “We are very, very happy to have the people of Udu relieved. Those hoodlums who want to disrupt them from casting their votes have been apprehended. Also, know that some are still running with one or two arms in their possessions, but with the position of the Police, we believe those persons will be apprehended and brought to book,” the lawmaker hopeful stressed.

  • Delta community condemns pipeline attack

    The leadership of Batan in Warri South-West council of Delta State has condemned the attack on the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) gas line in the community.

    In a statement signed by the councillor representing Batan in the council legislature, Mr Frank Pukon, the community appealed to security agencies for restraint, promising that the community would assist in arresting perpetrators.

    The statement said the  community was afraid innocent community members might become victims of punitive action by security agencies.

    It called for an interface with community leaders to help in intelligence gathering to nab the culprits.

    The statement noted that the community would work with security to preserve the fragile peace process in the area.

    “My attention has been drawn to the destruction of NGPTCL gas line at Batan community, Diebiri clan, by suspected oil thieves. This is sad and regrettable. I condemn this act, and urge security officials to interface with stakeholders to gather intelligence, for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

    “As a leader, I cannot allow miscreants to blight the peace building capacity that is in progress. Perhaps, even more worrisome is the fact that it is a disservice for people to take laws into their hands by destroying national assets. One of the predominant factors that led to the unavoidable recession in our country was because of the destruction of national assets leading to cost inefficiency and insecurity.

    “It is a sad day for Batan and Diebiri clan because we are peace lovers…we have protected national assets to the detriment of our lives, these are just the handiwork of mischief makers for the military to militarise our area.

    ‘’The military, however, should adhere to professionalism and synergise with stakeholders for the people not to be intimidated, in this electioneering period”, the statement said.

    The critical gas asset was reportedly sabotaged by suspected oil thieves on Monday.

    NGC’s spokesman  in Warri, Mr Darlington Samuel, said only the corporation’s group general manager in charge of publicity in Abuja could speak on the development.

  • Delta REC threatens to cancel rescheduled polls

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Delta State, Dr. Cyril Omoregbe, has threatened to cancel the rescheduled polls should the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters fail to send materials for the polls.

    He said: “If all election materials do not arrive by 2pm on Friday, I will not hesitate to cancel the election. I will not wait till 2am to cancel the poll. Some of the discrepancies we spotted in the materials include those of other states wrongly sent to Delta and vice versa. Some council areas did not have result sheets as well.”

    Prior to last weekend’s postponement, the REC said the commission, due to non-receipt of some sensitive materials, did not deploy to the field.

    Omoregbe, who spoke to reporters yesterday in Asaba, said sensitive materials which where warehoused at the Central Bank in Asaba were intact as none had been deployed. “It is pertinent to state that no single sensitive material had been deployed to the field before the postponement was announced.”

    He added that election materials will be deployed to the field earlier than expected, especially to inaccessible parts of the state.

    The REC added that reconfiguration of 5,823 card readers was on and the configuration was in compliance with the timeline of activities of the new dates.

  • Buhari’s order to shoot ballot-box snatchers, invitation to anarchy – PDP Chieftain

    Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, Honourable Kennedy Eyube, has said that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s order to the military to shoot ballot-box snatchers in the forthcoming general elections, was an invitation to anarchy.

    Ayube, a former House of Representatives Candidate for Okpe Sapele Uvwie Federal Constituency under the All Progress Congress APC, said the order by the President may also lead to war.

    The PDP chieftain who spoke to journalists in Warri said Nigeria has laws stipulated in the Constitution to deal with electoral offenders.

    While wondering why a president of a country should order the military to kill the people he swore to defend, Eyube added that the president’s directive was a disgrace to the nation, calling on the president to withdraw the order.

    He urged security personnel to ignore the president’s order and follow due process while dealing with fellow Nigerians who might have committed any electoral offence.

    Eyube said that the order might be an attempt to justify and cage opposition leaders during the election and tag them as ballot Box Snatchers.

    “Nigerians are tired of Buhari Government because there is too much killings. He knows they will not vote for him. That is reason for all these. If not how can a president want to kill his own people?” Eyube queried.

    Honourable Eyube said that despite the attempt by Mr President to threaten Nigerians so that his party can have a field day during the election, Nigerians are resolute in voting for the PDP in the general election.

    “During the PDP administration a bag of rice was N8,000 and a litre of fuel was N87 naira. But today, under the APC government a bag of rice is about N25,000 and a litre of fuel is N145 naira. So Nigerians are tired of the APC government. They want to change the change by 23 March 2019 by voting out the APC,” Eyube said.

    Eyube also lauded the developmental stride of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, saying Governor Okowa has turned the state into a ‘Construction Site,’ adding “if you are going to Asaba from Ughelli you will see the massive works going on. So I don’t see any other candidate other than Okowa.

    “For this reason and other reasons Okpe Local Government is 100% in support PDP and the people are going to give Governor Okowa and PDP 5/5 in the forthcoming general elections”, he said.

  • Attack on gas pipeline: Community’s local authority condemns action

    The leadership of Batan community in Warri South-West council area of Delta state have condemned the recent attack on the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) gas line in the community.
    In a statement signed by the councillor representing the Batan ward in the Warri South-West legislative house, Mr Frank Pukon, the community also appealed to security agencies for restraint in the process of finding the culprits, assuring the community stakeholders were willing to assist in arresting perpetrators.
    According to the statement, the appeal by the community to security agencies became necessary in the view of the likelihood of innocent community members become victims of underserved punitive military actions, it, however, called for an interface with community leaders to help in intelligence gathering to nab perpetrators.
    The statement further stated that the community would be willing to work with security so as to preserve the fragile peacebuilding process in the area, adding that the people would not want their environment militarised for any reason, hence the call for calm and understanding.
    “My attention has been drawn to the destruction of NGPTCL gas line at Batan community, Diebiri clan, by suspected oil thieves. This is sad and highly regrettable. I, therefore, condemn this act in the strongest terms and urge security officials to interface with stakeholders to gather intelligence information, for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
    “As a leader, I cannot allow miscreants to blight the peacebuilding capacity that is been in progress thus far. Perhaps even more worrisome is the fact that it is a disservice for people to take laws into their hands by destroying national assets. One of the predominant factors that led to the unavoidable recession in our country was because of the destruction of national assets leading to cost inefficiency and insecurity.
    “It is a sad day for Batan and Diebiri clan because we are peace lovers and in the course of our peaceful pursuits, we have protected national assets to the detriment of our own lives, these are just the handiwork of mischief makers for the military to militarize our area. The military, however, should adhere to professionalism and synergize with stakeholders for the people not to be intimidated, in this electioneering period”, the statement said.
    The critical gas asset was reportedly sabotaged by suspected oil thieves in the early hours of Monday.
    When reached to get NGC’s response to the development, spokesman of the NGC in Warri, Mr Darlington Samuel, said “no comment”, explaining further that any reaction to developments surrounding any of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s subsidiaries has to come the corporation’s Group General Manager in charge of publicity in Abuja.

  • Delta youths endorse Atiku, Okowa others

    Youths from Delta state under the auspices of Concerned Youth Presidents in Burutu Local Government Area of the state, on Wednesday endorsed the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for next Saturday’s general election.

    The group also endorsed all PDP candidates in the state, charging the youths in Burutu council area to massively support the reelection bid of Governor Okowa and his deputy, Barr. Kingsley Burutu Otuaro.

    The youth group who stated this in a press statement signed by over ten youth groups from Burutu council, stressed that entrusting Delta to the duo of Governor Okowa and his Deputy once a again, was the right thing to do.

    The group described Governor Okowa as a “development guru and a friend to the youths,” adding that Deltans were not ready to trade Okowa’s ambition for anything as his works were very visible in all nooks and crannies of the state.

    Some other candidates the group also endorsed include Sen. James Manager for Senate; Hon. Julius Pondi for House of Representatives, Burutu Federal Constituency; Hon. Asupa Forteta, for Burutu North, Delta State House of Assembly and Hon. Pullah Ekpotuayerin for Burutu South, Delta State House of Assembly.

    The statement reads in part, “As youth Presidents in Burutu Local Government Area here in Delta State, we can’t seat idle and watch any longer, we are all aware that Nigeria is now the headquarters of poverty in the World, there is high level of insecurity, Ijaws are hunted from left, right and center, alarming rate of unemployment.

    “Hunger and hardship at its highest level; Judiciary in a comatose state and a Nigeria that is not working. We have resolved that at our level as leaders, there is need to test Atiku who is the candidate of the PDP in the presidential election, the present government is like a nightmare to our people hence the need to try another leg.

    “It is in our interest as Ijaw people that Sen. James E. Manager should be returned to represent Delta South Senatorial District once more. He is high ranking, he knows the job very well and has been delivering to the admiration of all in the senatorial district. He has so many works across Delta South to his credit.

    “Hon. Julius Pondi, member representing Burutu Federal Constituency, House of Representatives is a rare leader in Burutu Local Government politics and Delta State at large, as a first timer, he does not appear so, he has visibly transformed the lives of many youths in Burutu Federal Constituency and by extension Niger Delta.

    “As a legislator he has performed well, projects have been influenced to communities in Burutu Local Government Area, his primary constituency, he had also been instrumental in many political appointments in the Local Government Area, he is loved by the people and above all, a voice to reckon with in the house of representatives.

    Read Also: Group condemns assault on woman in Delta

    “Hon. Asupa Forteta is one leader that the people of Burutu Local Government will always cue behind, he has this penchant appetite for the overall development of the Local Government, he has been doing his part in the emerging new Burutu. He has the people at heart, we will not waver in sending him to represent Burutu North in the Delta State House of Assembly.

    “We have also revolved to vote Mr. Pullah Ekpotuayerin, candidate of the PDP for Burutu South, Delta State House of Assembly to represent the constituency, we are fully ready to deliver you all during the elections” The youth presidents vows.”

    The group maintained that the decision to throw their weight behind the candidates was for the interest of the good spirited youths of Burutu Local Government Area, the constituencies they represent and the entire Ijaw nation.

    The youth leaders also vowed to back their endorsement with action by delivering massive votes for the PDP candidates during the elections.

    The youth presidents that signed the statement include Amb. Binebai Yerin Princewill, youth president of Burutu community, headquarters of the Local Government Area; Mr. Sunday Amos Fidelis, youth president, Ogulagha community; Amb. Dere Podoki, youth president, Odimodi community; Comr. Samuel E. Uyadongha, youth president, Obotobo II community; Comr. Pere A. Guwor, youth president, Youbebe community; Comr. Tonbrapagha Oleh, youth president, Yokiri community.

    Others are: Comr. Perebosigha Dose, youth president, Sokebolou community; Mr. John Gbabare, youth president, Obotobo I community; Comr. Famous Nianta, youth president, Ayakoromo community; Amb. ThankGod Etonwei, youth president, Ojobo community; Comr. Oyanimigha Paul, youth president, Obotebe community and other youth presidents in the Local Government Area that gave their consents for the endorsement.

  • ‘Why Ogboru does not recognise zoning’

    Chief Turner Ogboru is a lawyer and younger brother of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru. In this interview with Senior Correspondent OKUNGBOWA AIEWRIE, he speaks on the controversy over zoning in the state, the chances of the APC in the March 9 election and other partisan issues.

    What is the status of the recent reconciliation brokered by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo?

    The reconciliation is ongoing substantially. In principle, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor has accepted the terms that were agreed upon. He is still working to bring some members of his faction on board. But, right now, because the elections are here, we have put the process on hold. So, that everybody can go and work first; after the elections, we can talk about matters of party exco, which is the bone of contention. For now, we have put that behind us and we are looking forward to the presidential and the National Assembly elections, which has been rescheduled to take place February 23 and the governorship and the House of Assembly elections now to hold on March 9. So, after that, we would consummate some power sharing initiative that we have already put in place in principle.

    What are your views on the argument by Delta PDP that the zoning is the panacea for peace and development?

    That whole thing is conceptually barren and morally jejune. There has never been any such arrangement in Delta State; there has never been any zoning to any particular section at any time. When James Ibori contested elections in 1999, all parts of this state contested with him. When in 2003, he re-contested, every part of the state contested with him. So, there was nothing like zoning. When Emmanuel Uduaghan contested his elections every part of the state contested with him. When he did his second tenure, also, every part of the state still contested. The second term ticket was not given to him on a platter of gold, because he is from Delta South. Nobody ever gave Uduaghan the privilege to contest. On the contrary, when he even failed even the people in Delta North and every other place were working against Great Ogboru. But, if not that Uduaghan and the PDP then had the riverine machinery that got crabs and crayfish to become voters, the resurrected ancestors of the place to rise up from the burial ground to become voters, there is no way Uduaghan would have won. Governor Ifeanyi Okowa himself narrowly missed losing the ticket in the 2015 PDP primary, as the aspirant from Delta Central, David Edevbie, would have defeated him, but for a last minute move. Nobody said that Delta Central should not contest and that it is our turn. It was never turn-by-turn; what happened is that in this election it was Okowa’s machinery that brought up this issue and they sold it to some people in the APC.

    They know that if they use Anioma agenda, then, the candidate from the APC that will be running against Okowa will have an uphill task. The election will probably be a work over, because the APC in Delta North does not have any candidate that that would be accepted state wide. Okowa is an incumbent governor. So, he has an advantage: he has appointed SSG, he has appointed commissioners, advisers all over the state. So, he will be head and shoulders above other people in the race. But, with this equation, he can’t do that, so he made sure he played it so much that they zoned other offices in the PDP. So, for the first time in the history of elections in Delta State, Okowa’s second term bid was unopposed. He is the first governorship candidate of the PDP that is returned unopposed; no single person contested. So, it is either his credentials are intimidating or his performance is overwhelming and everybody is begging him to continue. So, we have never had any conference in Delta State where we said we will be having a rotational process; it is not in the constitution of any of the parties. Besides, in the case of Great Ogboru, he is also from Delta North, because his mother is from Delta North and if any child can really say this is who I am it is through your mother, because your father may be from the wrong place your mother might just tell you that that is your father. So, the father may be somebody else, but the mother that gave birth to you and carried you that is the person you can really say is your mother. Besides, Great Ogboru contested governorship elections with Ibori in his second term, he contested again with Uduaghan three times, because he succeeded in nullifying Uduaghan’s first tenure, so there was a re-run and the second tenure he contested with Uduaghan he did not say because Ibori was from Delta Central he will not contest with him. He did not say because Uduaghan Is from Delta South, he will not contest against him. He also contested against Okowa in the election that brought him into power for the first term. He did not say because he is from Delta North he will not contest with him. So, why should he now say okay let us just pause the game? It doesn’t make any sense. The present APC governorship candidate is from Delta North and his wife is from Delta South, because she has Ijaw blood. This whole thing is just a cheap ethnic sentiment that is being pulled, because of the lack of performance of the sitting governor. He is analogue; he doesn’t even know how to make money with what he has. He tries to be prudent with the resources he has so they say there is no money that’s his new name, but this state is getting not less than N20billion every month. Where is the money? We are short-changing pensioners, students that are supposed to be doing JAMB or WAEC. This state cannot even pay for them; instead the state is adding to the burden of the parents. How do you build human capital?

    The PDP has alleged that your party plans to use ‘federal might’ to win the elections. Is there any justification in this statement?

    The Bible says as a man is, so he thinks everybody is; as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. Who brought rigging into Nigerian politics? It is the PDP that brought writing of results; it is the PDP that brought in all the election vices. The party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, openly confessed recently in Lagos and apologised to the people that it was because of his friendship with Bola Tinubu that he did not take Lagos. How was he taking it? The way he took Ondo, the way he took Ekiti, the way he took Osun, which we got back through the courts. He did all this through rigging; they were just writing results. Obasanjo will sit in Aso Rock and be calling Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to go and announce results. So, they think the APC will do the same thing. But, unfortunately, Buhari is not in that cast that will be calling INEC boss to go and do contingency result; APC is not planning anything like that.

    Great Ogboru has lost several governorship elections in the past. Will this election be different?

    Great Ogboru has contested this election five times and this is the sixth time. This time around, he has the blessing of God to rule this state. It will not be like previous elections. Ask any person who knows anything about the PDP, they will tell you that they have been the ones who have been using toxic votes to top into the boat. Then, the PDP was at the helm of affairs at the centre. So, they had the ‘federal might’ and they had the security, but for the first time in this state, the PDP is not having that advantage.

    Do you have faith in INEC to deliver a free, fair and credible election?

    I have absolute faith in the current INEC to deliver free, fair and credible elections. INEC has been having incremental gains in this current election. The Card Readers that they are using have been enhanced such that you cannot tamper with it like before. Hitherto, INEC Card Readers were subject to manipulation. But now INEC, with its in-house soul-searching, saw all this defects and so it has upgraded the Card Readers. The thing is just that PDP is the one dividing the country with false propaganda.

    The party just cries wolf where there is none; it is not politicking, it is criminal of them. Nigeria is divided today because of fake news; everybody is so angry with Buhari, because they accused him of aiding herdsmen. Where were the herdsmen when the police and army will come yet they will not see any goat or ram. How is that the activities of herdsmen? People who are moving with fast motor vehicles that can go through three villages and burn them in one day and then disappear; nobody will see anyone by day break and you are calling them herdsmen. Where do herdsmen operate like that? Herdsmen don’t operate like that. If herdsmen operate, you will see them fighting the people; you will see the farm where they entered. If they kill people there, you will see them before you can apprehend them. Even if they run away, you can see their cattle, but since Atiku too as a herdsman has come into the race they have gone back to Boko Haram attacks and communal clashes, because now we have two herdsmen that are Fulanis and Muslims they are the only two choices we are choosing from in the pack.

    Deltans are apprehensive of violence during the election, judging by recent killings in the state. What is your message to Deltans?

    The whole country is apprehensive. People like Prophet T.B Joshua have been crying to Nigerians to pray to avert the things that they are seeing, so as not to truncate the democracy. Joshua has been speaking in parables, but he has been pleading with us very extensively, because what he is seeing is not pleasant. That means there is so much violence, there is even possibility of coups and counter coups. That is what the man is seeing in the spirit, but the man doesn’t want to say such thing in public, because he doesn’t want to cause panic. So, he just tells us to pray. People like Papa Adeboye coming up today that this year he is going to speak in parables. He just says it is of the Lord’s mercy that we aren’t consumed in Nigeria and for Redeemed people he gives them Psalm 91 that they dwell in the secret place of the Most High. When you look at these things then you will know that there is potential crisis, if God does not intervene. There is potential crisis that people can just stand on the line and they will just come and stab them and shooting into the air to carry ballot boxes, because I am trying to make it look like I am calling for international sympathy and support for a particular candidate. Those kind of things on the ground you can’t rule them out; that’s why we need to pray for the aversion of this thing and telling everybody please don’t destroy Nigeria because of herdsmen, because the two major candidates are Fulanis and herdsmen too.

    There is no point for everybody to be apprehensive; all we need to do like, I told the Commissioner of Police, we have identified a lot of young men who are potential trouble makers. Call them and advise them; let them know that if they cause mayhem they will be in trouble and will be made to pay the full penalty of the law. Voting is a competition like Chelsea playing Man City. Man City beating them 6-0 nobody died, even though they are supposed to be equal. So, when we beat them mercilessly they should have left and just go home and wait for another day, when there is a return match. When they defeated us in all the previous matches, whether by referee support or hook or crook, we accepted go to court. Don’t resort to self-help, don’t go and announce yourself president and start a Venezuela-type situation in Nigeria. If you lose its of God; if you are a Muslim or Christian, you should know that power belongs to God and that he gives it to who he wills. Whether you get it by hook or crook it’s either God looks away for you to steal it or God personally wants you to stay there, but nobody gets into the throne, because you are God’s minister not by accident. You may look funny or credible, but the man that is still there God knows something about why he is still there. So, Deltans should not be apprehensive; Deltans should go about their work, especially our youths they should shun the violence and go about their duties, by voting for the person of their choice, stay and wait for the result in your polling units to be counted. After they have sorted and counted and announced the result, get a copy of the result; text it to your party, but just watch and see how it is collated and don’t resort to violence. It’s only in the peace that all of us will fulfill whatever we want to do with our daily bread. None of this people are feeding you right; they are not paying your school fees right now, so why do you want to kill yourself for them?