Delta APC alleges massive rigging, demands cancellation of polls

The Delta state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the cancellation of the presidential and national assembly elections, alleging “massive rigging”.

In a statement by Timinimi George, director-general, Delta  APC campaign council, alleged that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state “largely compromised” officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to carry out the electoral fraud which only favoured their candidates.

The party promised to release photo and video evidence where and when necessary to buttress its claims.

“There was no election in the riverine areas of Delta south. What happened was daylight robbery and a shameless effrontery on our nascent democracy. The PDP leadership in the state largely compromised the military and police operatives deployed by authorities to ensure a free and fair elections,” he said.

“In Delta south, in the riverine areas of Burutu, Bomadi and Patani LGAs, the PDP leaders hijacked ballot papers and thumb printed massively in favour of their party and candidates.

“The venue of their thump printing is like a massive polling centre with many men and women aggressively carrying out this criminal act . I have enough video to buttress what I am saying. I therefore call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the election.”

He listed the affected areas where the alleged fraud took place and highlighted harassment of voters and missing result sheets.

He said: “In Warri South West Local Government Area at Ogbe-Ijoh, in ward 1 of unit 005, 006, 007 and 008 in the riverine areas of the LGA, elections were characterised by massive rigging in connivance with INEC officials.

“There were also hellish thuggery, harassment and intimidation of voters and agents. These criminal acts were also awfully manifest in Gbaramatu, Oporoza , and Isaba wards of same LGA .

“Burutu and BOMADI LGAs and the Riverine areas of Patani LGA also shared in the barbaric and mindless rigging with the attendant violence.

‘Tragically, in the few units and wards where few electoral materials were present, the result sheets for the units were missing.”

“I therefore call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to outrightly cancel the elections in the aforementioned LGAs.

Emmanuel Uduaghan, former governor of the state, contested for the Delta south senatorial election under the APC but lost to James Manager of the PDP, the incumbent senator of the district.

INEC declared Manager the winner after polling a total of 258, 812 votes, while Uduaghan polled 125,776 votes.