Crisis Rocks Delta LG Election: DESIEC Office Burnt, Fake Result Sheet, Returning Officer Missing (PHOTOS)
LAGOS JANAURY 6TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The ongoing Delta State local government elections holding across the 25 council area of the state seems to be entangle with series of crisis which Urhobotoday.com reliably gathered had marred the smooth conduct of the election.
Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) office located in Ughelli, Ughelli North local government area of the state was set ablaze by some aggrieved politicians.
Our source revealed that while distribution of electoral materials was still ongoing at about 8:30am. some unknown gunmen invaded the secretarial and set fire on it.
It added that many persons were injured during the attack including journalists who were at the secretarial to cover the distribution of materials.
Reports monitored in BigPen Online revealed that result sheets which are in circulation in some part of the state, particularly in Sapele are different from the ones DSIEC used during the training of their selected adhoc staff.
The source said that in Otor-Udu council, the electoral officer deployed to the area allegedly absconded with the result sheets and left the other electoral materials which were later distributed.
The development reportedly led to the burning down of DSIEC Secretariat in Ughelli North council area.
A source said that in Sapele council no result sheets accompanied the materials which were yet to be released as at 10am. “Some fake result sheets sighted were different from what was shown to political party members during DSIEC training sessions”, the source said.
APC Chairmanship candidate in Uvwie, Ufuoma Okenini alleged that soldiers were deployed to intimidate eligible voters in his council area, describing the electoral exercise as a sham.
He said that fake result sheets were in circulation and in some part of the council DSIEC official were not on ground to conduct the election.
There was also a chaotic situation at Ogwashi-Uku DSIEC office as reports say the returning officer for Aniocha South Ward 9, Mr. Emmanuel Agofure went under when APC agents insisted that he provide the result sheets.
At Otor-Udu, the DSIEC office was condone off by soldiers and gun wielding vigilante group members who were allegedly used to ferry away electoral materials. The atmosphere was tense with supporters of both PDP and APC milling around the Secretariat where the materials were kept.
It was bloody at Ughelli South council where about three supporters of APC were reportedly shot at Otu-jeremi at the wee hours of the day.
The development which caused serious tension at the council Secretariat prompted heavy militarisation of the area following insistence by APC supporters that result sheets must be distributed alongside other materials.
Our correspondents who rove round the council area report that no election was holding in the area as at 11:55 am as the electoral materials were crammed at the Otu-jeremi Police Station instead of DSIEC office with heavy presence of soldiers, and other paramilitary officers in the area.
An APC members, Anthony Ajukuta said that materials were hidden in Otu-jeremi council Police Station which guided by both soldiers, civil defence operatives and conventional police officers.
At Awulor Primary School in Ute-Okpu community, Ika North East, suspected members of PDP allegedly hijacked the materials to the chagrin of other political party members.
Our correspondents monitoring the election in Aniocha South Ward 3, reports that returning Officer deployed to the area supervised the hijacked of materials which reportedly taken to PDP chairmanship candidate’s house.
The story was the same in Patani local government area, it was learnt.
Our source gathered that APC which is presumed as party without structure in the state gave PDP serious resistance in many of the council visited but the absence of sensitive materials which DSIEC allegedly kept away may save the ruling party, PDP to carry out its plans to manipulate the election.
The resistance was more visible in Delta Central Senatorial District and some part of Delta North where Governor Ifeanyi Okowa hails from.
Additional report from bigpen
there was no election in Ward 1 of Udu local government area. both sensitive and non – sensitive materials never got to the all three units of Oghior community where electorates were eager to exercise their civic rights of voting.