Delta LG polls marred by violence, irregularities

Local government elections held Saturday in Delta State were marred by violence and irregularities with the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) office in Ughelli, Ughelli North local government area set ablaze by an irate mob.

Witnesses said some unknown gunmen invaded the secretariat and set fire on it while distribution of electoral materials was still going on at about 8:30am. Many persons were reported injured during the attack, including journalists who were at the secretariat to cover the distribution of electoral materials.

Our correspondent reports that the process across the 25 councils of the state was marred with irregularities, such as in Sapele fake result sheets surfaced. In some polling units, elections were not held at all.

In Aniocha South Wards 9 (Nsukwa), 10 (Ejeme) and 11 (Ewulu), hundreds of irate youths resisted an alleged discreet plot to subvert the outcome of the election as DSIEC Ward Returning Officers were allegedly compromised by the PDP and were held incommunicado by a commissioner from the area.

Although anti-riot police were deployed to the area, they were confronted by irate mobs barricaded the road and insisted the election would not hold until the Ward Returning Officers show up with the result sheets.

Despite reports of ballot box stuffing in several local governments, the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the council polls.

Governor Okowa who spoke at Ward 3, Owa-Alero, Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State shortly after casting his vote at Polling Unit 3, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the polls.

“DSIEC (Delta State Independent Electoral Commission) has given assurance that the election will be credible, free and fair and so far, you can see that people have come out to cast their votes,” the Governor said.

On the situation report generally across the state, the governor disclosed that at Ndokwa East Local Government area, soldiers stopped electoral officers from moving materials, a situation which he said, was addressed, adding that at Ughelli North, suspected members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) were said to have set DSIEC office.

“It is unfortunate that some persons were not ready for the elections and they resorted to violence,” he said.