IT was tales of violence, thuggery, voter apathy and lapses in logistics delivery during the local government elections held across the 25 local council areas in Delta on Saturday.
The Nation observed that late arrival of election materials was common across the central and Southern districts of the state, as screening of eligible voters in most places visited did not commence until after 12pm.
There were also reports of skirmishes and destruction of properties in some parts of the state following alleged snatching of election materials.
In Ughelli South, Uwvie, Warri South, Udu, Okpe, Sapele, Warri South West, Ughelli North Ethiope West and East, Isoko South and North council areas of the state, materials had not arrived most polling booths when our correspondent visited the areas.
In Koko, the headquarters of Warri North council area, there were reports of violence between members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which left several persons injured, with not less than 12 cars vandalised.
Our correspondent gathered that trouble started when some persons, suspected to be political thugs working for the PDP, snatched election materials and were resisted by members of the APC.
At Effunrun, the headquarters of Uvwie council area of the state, the campaign office of an APC governorship aspirant, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, was set on fire by those suspected to PDP thugs.
In some other parts of Uvwie, there were reports of attacks on members of the APC, who were reportedly beaten and tied up by thugs allegedly working on the instructions of some PDP members.
In Okpe-Olomu, Ughelli South council area, materials were still not available as at 11:23am, even as people were seen going about their normal businesses. At a community market, people who spoke with The Nation said they were not voting because there was no reason for it.
Materials arrived Ughelli North council area for distribution at about 11:44am in Olomoro Wards 4, 6 and 7, as people were seen in groups waiting for materials to arrive as at 12:40pm.
At Olomoro and Irri, both in Isoko South council area of the state, angry electorate reportedly seized materials and destroyed them.
There had been allegations at Irri that despite the arrival of materials at about 1:30pm, election process could not commence because of the absence of security agents to supervise the distribution process and to prevent possible hijack of materials.
In Aviara, Ward 3, unit six of Isoko South, voting was yet to start at about 1:45pm. Meanwhile, just a few metres away, from unit 6, the collation centre was still packed with electoral officers, who were collecting materials for their units.
At Oyede, Ward 1 of Isoko North, the collation centre was still packed with expectant electoral officers and party agents waiting for their materials to be distributed to them at about 2:06pm.
At Ivrogbor-Irri, Isoko South, electoral officers were still screening eligible voters at about 2:30pm.
Late arrival of sensitive materials and voter apathy yesterday marred local government polls in some parts of Delta State.
In Asaba, the state capital, many voters shunned voting centres and opted to stay indoors during the period of election.
Although voting took place in many polling centres in Oshimili South/North local government areas, there was a low turnout of voters.
But at a polling centre located at Ozoigwe Primary School in Asaba, there was a huge turnout of voters, while voting and accreditation of voters went on peacefully.
Voting at the Anglican Girls Grammar School also in the state capital took place without hitches, although accreditation stretched till about 1.30 p.m when actual voting should have started.
In Aniocha South council area, sensitive materials arrived at about 12.30 p.m. when accreditation should have ended, with many eligible voters having waited in vain for election to commence left in disgust as election materials failed to arrive on time.
However, there was violence at Okpe council area after some unidentified thugs reportedly set fire on a bus filled with election materials.
Violence also characterised the conduct of the polls in Delta South and Delta central senatorial districts areas.
The Nation gathered that there were protests in Delta South and Central senatorial districts over the alleged disappearance of result sheets from the election materials.
In Koko, Warri North LGA of Delta South, over 10 ten persons were said to have sustained injuries, while no fewer than 20 vehicles of various brands were vandalised when fighting broke out.
Trouble started when a prominent chief allegedly led thugs to unleash mayhem on members of the community who had insisted on inspecting election materials before being distributed to the various units.
According to a source, there was anxiety that the materials might have been tampered with in favour of a particular political party.
A voter in the area, Anunu Esimaje, described the election as a sham, saying that he was a victim of the violence.
He said, “This is no election; some people used security men to intimidate and molest voters. Even thugs came here to harass and molest our people in the presence of security operatives. Now they have taken the materials away.”
But in a swift reaction, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the community, Mike Diden, said the election was peaceful despite the initial hiccups. He praised the security agencies for living up to expectation.
Diden exonerated PDP loyalists from the violence, saying that one of the opposition parties had imported thugs into the town to cause confusion and ensure that the exercise did not hold.
Meanwhile, thousands of passengers were left seething with anger as military men and police shut down the state while the election lasted.
The lockdown followed a directive by the state governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, that movement of people should be restricted from 8am to 3pm.
The governor said the move was part of security measures taken to ensure a hitch-free exercise.
Findings, however, revealed that the lockdown led to endless wait at border towns to the annoyance of passengers and motorists.
The Nation gathered that major points in and out of the state were effectively closed by stern-faced police and military personnel who said they were under instruction not to allow anybody in or out of the state.
Our checks revealed that the bridges across the Niger River at Patani and Asaba were blocked by soldiers, forcing hundreds of travellers passing through the state to Edo, Lagos and Northern states to remain in Onitsha and Bayelsa.
Also, travellers going to Port Harcourt and other South-South states through Benin City, the Edo State capital, were stopped at Koko-Ugbenu junction.
Among those stranded in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state, were members of the Eyeta family who were on their way to Benin City to attend the wedding ceremony of their brother, Monday.
One of the disappointed travellers told our reporter, “I was hurrying to Benin but when I got to Effurun Roundabout at about 8 am, some wicked soldiers refused to let us pass. But they allowed politicians using military men as escort to pass but they would not allow ordinary civilians to go through.”
