L
LequteMan
Guest
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Emmanuel Aguariavwodo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of Saturday’s bye-election for the Delta Central senatorial seat.
But the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, O'tega Emerhor, and Ede Dafinone, the candidate for the Democratic People’s Party has rejected the outcome of the elections, declared the result a scam, and added that the battle had just begun.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Mr. Emerhor of the APC, according to SAHARA REPORTERS described the election as one of the worst things that have happened in the nation’s current democratic system.
“I hereby place it on record that no bye-election took place. What took place was a sham calculated to select a senator by the government and all its agencies working together to achieve this nefarious and predetermined outcome. The whole environment was militarized with roadblocks where voters were intimidated to stay at home and [steer] clear of polling units.”
He accused INEC of compromised its responsibility and conducting an election designed to favor the PDP. He alleged that the Nigerian Army aided and abetted the snatching of ballot papers by the PDP stalwarts and thugs, that the acts were carried out right under the eyes of soldiers.
He said he and the APC reject the election result and called for its cancellation.
Also rejecting the result, Mr. Dafinone of the DPP stated that there was no election as far as he was concerned.
“Security apparatuses were seen supporting the PDP in the brazen use of thugs to unleash violence and mayhem on our party members and the electorate. Thus there is now very serious concern for the progress of our nascent democracy and diminishing hope for peace, unity and good governance of Nigeria now and in the immediate future. The election was a complete sham.”
“Because our agents were openly shot at and maimed yesterday, as it was in 2003 and 2007, we are able to say that the days where elections are gun wars are back. Because INEC officials and NYSC ad hoc personnel bluntly refused to go out to conduct the election in several places, we are also able to categorically say that government, through these agencies, decided the outcome of the election in a clearly premeditated manner. INEC did not release or issue out election result sheets and other sensitive election materials in most places, but ‘results’ somehow managed to emerge in favor of the PDP. We are able to say that the so-called results were made to suit the PDP even before any election.”