Delta LG poll: One killed, as PDP clears 25 chairmanship seats

THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, weekend, won all the 25 chairmanship seats in the Delta State local government elections, conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC. The poll, which was held on Saturday, was adjudged as peaceful, free and fair by members of the PDP.

However, the All Progressives Congress, APC, which pulled out of the exercise at about 12 noon, mid-way into the election, described the poll as a sham.

PDP’s victory came amid confusion at Evwreni community, Ughelli North Local Government Area as one Mr Muvi Unagha was reportedly shot dead by yet to be identified gunmen. It was learned that the deceased was shot at a popular drinking joint in the community while waiting for the arrival of electoral materials. Though the circumstances surrounding the incident were hazy at press time, sources said the deceased and some of the community’s youths had gathered at the bar when three cars in a convoy pulled over and opened fire at them.

A source said the deceased was hit by a bullet as others at the bar scampered for safety. The source who sought anonymity said the deceased was rushed to the Ughelli Central Hospital where he died. Efforts to contact the Delta State Police Acting Public Relations Officer of the state command, Mr  Bright Edafe, were abortive at presstime.

The incident was however, confirmed by a senior police officer in the Ughelli Area command. Speaking on its victory and the stance of the APC,  the ruling PDP said it was not “surprised by the naive action and well-known attention-seeking habit of APC to wait until election day to withdraw”, saying that “the decision of the opposition party is of no consequence to the electoral process, especially since the stipulated time for all parties’ activities concerning the elections to end, had since elapsed.”

Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC, Chief Mike Ogbodu, who spoke at the commencement of the announcement of the results, said the conduct of the elections were peaceful across the state. According to results announced by the returning officers of each of the local government areas, candidates of the PDP won in the 25 councils, where candidates of other political parties, including APC, contested the grassroots elections. Vanguard