Tejiri Ebikeme
For the people of oil-rich Delta State, especially those at the grassroot, when the tenure of Local Government Chairmen ran its full circle May 11, 2011, little did they know that for a long time to come, local polls will not be conducted in the 25 Local Council Areas by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.
Now, two years down the road, the waiting game for local polls in the state continued and nobody can say for sure when elections to the 25 local government areas and the various wards in the state will be conducted.
It took a long time for the reconstitution of the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) by Governor Uduaghan.
Only last month, the Chairman of DSIEC, Mr. Moses Ogbe disclosed that an election timetable for the conduct of local polls shall soon be released in the state.
The DSIEC boss said that the Commission had gone round the state, assessed the facilities for the conduct of the polls and that government was willing to fund the conduct of the local polls because of its critical democratic importance.
According to him, the Commission was conscious of anxiety of politicians and political parties for the elections, promising that the electoral body will not disappoint them as the elections will be conducted in the nearest future.
“We are coming out very soon with the election timetable,” he said, adding that the tour of the Commission round the various offices in the state has prepared the body for the polls as the facilities will be upgraded while staff would be retrained for the conduct of the polls.
But those who spoke to us on the delayed local polls in the state, urged the DSIEC boss to end the waiting game now and conduct the election, ,saying he was being economical with the truth.
A respondent from Agbor who pleaded that his name should not be in print said that; “The truth of the matter is that the State Government do not want the election to be conducted, but I don’t know why.
The state government is not willing to fund the election. DSIEC has no money to conduct the election and I laughed when I heard DSIEC boss saying the government was very willing to fund the conduct of the local polls. I even gathered that the DSIEC boss has no official car up till now and still being driven around with his personal old car. They are not ready for the local polls.”
On his part, a Warri-based lawyer, Barrister Eric Omare told THE REFORMER that; “In the first place, it is a constitutional breach for the Delta State Government to refuse to conduct local government area elections for about three years now.”
According to him; “Secondly, it is nothing but deliberate effort by the state leadership to deny the grassroot the accountable leadership they desire and also to divert council funds for other illegal purposes.”
Barrister Omare then called on all Deltans to rise up “against this act of illegality. We must insist on adherence to the rule of law.”
Another lawyer based in the oil-rich city, Barrister Oghenejabor Ikimi when reached on the delayed council polls said; “Sincerely speaking, the delayed Delta local polls is embarrassing to say the least as the people of the grassroot are deliberately deprived of true representation.”
He added; “I understand that members of DSIEC are on familiarization tour of the 25 local government areas of the state. If I may ask, must members of DSIEC go round the length and breath of the state before they can conduct a free and fair local polls in the state? I think the answer is in the negative. I think these are ploys to delay the polls. Until the constitution is amended, scrapping State Independent Electoral Commissions, this is what we will continue to get nationwide.”
Chief Bobson Gbinije is the National Coordinator of Mandate Against Poverty (MAP).
Hear him; “The Delta State Local Polls have become a waiting game of political prestidigitation and electoral abracadabra theatricalised by DSIEC and Governor Uduaghan. It is calculated to perpetuate PDP’s stooges in power at the local government level and beyond to gain political advantage and cover their horrendously corrupt tracks.”
“But their political sins and manipulations will vomit them into public opprobrium with time,” he stated.
Also commenting from Akwukwu-Igbo, a public affairs analyst, Mr. David Okonkwo Agoke said; “With the successful ending of the visitation and public enlightenment programme carried out by DSIEC across the local government areas in the state, the authorities of DSIEC should promptly put its house in order and then announce the election timetable as stipulated by the Electoral Act,” stressing that unwarranted delay in DSIEC activities as regards the next council polls may lead to suspicion and lack of confidence in the polity.
As the beat goes on for the delayed Delta Local Polls and with aspirants in endless consultations, flooding everywhere with their posters; the question now is when will the council polls be conducted? Some are saying sometimes in April. But only time will tell as the waiting game continued.
