NEWS

                                  SEE HOW ELECTIONS WENT IN DELTA STATE                                                                                                                       

Aggression, law-breaking, late arrival of poll materials marred Nigeria’s much-awaited presidential and national legislative polls held today in Delta State.

Aggression, law-breaking, late arrival of poll materials marred Nigeria’s much-awaited presidential and national legislative polls held today in Delta State.
Other problems were hitches with card readers in some parts of the state.
While Sahara Reporters observed that there was a level of peace and calm in some local government areas, many parts of the state were chaotic.
Jones Erue, the Delta state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said that security agents in different parts of the state intimidated several party members

He said: “At Emede there was no vote, there were no result sheets. Our party agents and supporters were chased away from various polling units by the military men drafted to the town by some members of the ruling party in the community. Thumb printing was carried out at Channel O Hotels, Ewhokpa, and other villages in Aviara under the supervision of the military men who helped in the carrying and escorting of these materials to the hotel.”
At Ethiope East and West council areas, the electoral commission shifted the National Assembly poll after the supposed stealing of electoral materials.
Speaking with journalists, the Delta State Secretary to Government, Ovuozorie Macaulay, expressed disappointment over what he defined as the shortchanging of electors by INEC.
According to him, electoral materials came late, continuing that the electoral commission failed to keep its promise to convey materials to a central location where they would be sorted out. Instead, he accused INEC of bringing materials straight from its office in Ozoro, thereby postponing the whole process.
“107,000 people were registered by INEC in Isoko North but INEC brought 54,800 voting materials for the presidential election, while 74,600 and 74,400 materials were brought respectively for the House of Representatives and Senate elections, meaning we have a shortfall of 33,000 voting materials.”
He blamed commission of withholding a local government “which is totally PDP of 33,000,” describing it as “a huge loss and injustice. We are not happy with the development of depriving a whole 33,000 people of voting. However, I commend my people for maintaining peace throughout the election.”
At Emede in Isoko South local government area of the state, Benjamin Ogbalor, a politician and director general of the Delta state APC governorship campaign organization, commended the commission for reportedly wiping out rigging from the nation’s electoral processes.
“The card readers have brought discipline to the elections and we give kudos to INEC. We, the APC, will continue to have confidence in INEC because this is the first time the peoples votes will count,” Mr. Ogbalor noted.
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