Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, will today (Monday), swear in the newly elected chairmen of the 25 local government areas of the state.
This follows Saturday’s local government election conducted by the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission in the 25 LGAs in the state.
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party was declared the winner in all the 25 LGAs.
In a terse statement on Sunday, the Permanent Secretary, Protocol, Government House, Asaba, A.N. Tetsola, said the LG chairmen would be sworn in Monday by the governor at 10 am in Asaba, the state capital.
“Kindly be informed that His Excellency the Governor will preside over the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected chairmen and vice of the 25 LGAs in the state on Monday 15/7/24 at the Event Centre, Asaba at 10 am,” the statement read.
But the senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Ede Dafinone, has described Saturday’s council poll as “a complete sham and a mockery of democratic ideals and standard”.
Dafinone, while reacting to the outcome of the council polls won by the ruling PDP, said, “It is very unfortunate that people at the grassroots level were prevented from participating in our democratic process by state governors to freely elect their councillors and council chairman.
“The All Progressives Congress in Delta sensed that the electoral umpire, Delta State Independent Electorial Commission, was not going to conduct a credible elections as predicted, hence, most of the party candidates withdrew from the polls.
“It’s very unfortunate and sad how low our people can go to acquire power. It’s even more troubling that after 25 years in our democratic experiment we can’t conduct what looks like an election at the local government level.
“What took place in Delta State on Saturday to all intent and purpose can’t be classified as an election. It’s a complete sham and an affront to all known democratic ideals.
“The state electoral umpire, most probably acting on the instructions of the state governor, just allotted figures to candidates who took part in the shambolic process. It can at best be described as a mere coronation of all PDP-nominated candidates.
“As predicted by political watchers that the Delta State PDP-led government is incapable of conducting free, fair and credible elections, DISIEC proved all of us right. Because there were reports across the state that electoral materials, particularly results sheets, were not supplied to many polling units, and in some cases, wards where they consider as strongholds of the opposition, voting materials were not supplied at all.
“It’s disheartening that our governors who are products of free and fair elections can’t replicate same in the local government areas of their state. If INEC were to conduct elections the way the governors purportedly teleguide SIEC to conduct local government polls, many of them will not be governor today.”
