SAN FRANCISCO, January 07, (THEWILL) –
The Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) has declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of 22 chairmanship seats in the Delta State local government election conducted last Saturday amid allegations of massive rigging coming from the main opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Party, APC.
57 PDP Councillorship candidates were returned unopposed, while the party won 424 councillorship seats contested for, the agency said.
The APC was declared winner in one councillorship position, Ward 2, Aniocha North local government area, which is the hometown of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.
Delta state APC Chairman, Jones Erue in a statement rejected the results, describing the conduct of the election and subsequent results as a “big sham”.
An instance of rigging observed in the councillorship election in Ward 5, Onicha-Olona, Aniocha North, where the APC candidate who was declared winner on the field after counting, had his name substituted in favour of the PDP candidate when DSEIC announced results.
There were also cases of violence and instances of ballot snatching and intimidation.
The results were announced at the DSIEC headquarters in Asaba, by the various local government returning officers who took turns to make their declaration.
Chairman of the Commission, Chief Mike Ogbodu said fresh election would be held in Ughelli North and Ethiope East on Tuesday January 9, while the result of Ika South was ready but the returning officer was unavailable to announce it as a result of ill health.
Ogbodu said the result of one ward in Isoko North is being withheld as result of court injunction
