Zik Gbemre
As the general elections approaches, INEC, as usual, had come out some weeks back to allay fears over election rigging and other election irregularities. We know that this has always been the usual practice. But the question is how true is INEC’s words? For it is one thing to come out and allay such fears; it is a different thing entirely for Nigerians to be guaranteed that such fears will not be witnessed.
In other to give INEC the benefit of the doubt, not unless they prove us wrong (which we hope and pray not), we, as relevant stakeholders and mouth-piece of conscience and the general interest of the common man, hereby write to INEC to reiterate that we (and every Deltan), expect a “free and fair” Gubernatorial election in Delta State that is devoid of rigging and election result manipulation, come April 11, 2015.
We have decided to make this call and reiterate this fact to INEC because ‘all’ past governorship elections in Delta State were heavily manipulated by INEC through the Delta State Government, in favour of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State. We understand INEC intends to use Card Readers for the elections but the fact still remains that, the final election results can still be manipulated. The original Election Result Sheets of past Governorship elections in Delta State have never gotten to their designated Polling stations and collation centers, what we have had are ‘fake’ election result sheets which were doctored to favour the ruling party.
It is no longer news that elections in Delta State, especially the governorship elections, were the worst elections ever conducted by INEC in the history of the State. The January 6, 2011 governorship re-run election in Delta State for instance, was marred with electoral fraud and election irregularities of the highest order. And the re-run election was supposed to be INEC’s test-run, where Prof. Attahiru Jega and all the top INEC officials plus relevant security heads were present to conduct the election, yet that election witnessed electoral malpractices that cannot be extensively explained here. Then came the April 2011 general elections, where far worst election malpractices and electoral frauds were witnessed in the Delta state governorship elections in April 2011. The most annoying aspect was that at every point in time, we and other relevant stakeholders had made sure that Jega and INEC were intimated about some of the anomalies observed with the electoral process in Delta State (both the voters registration exercise and the elections that followed back then), and proffered solutions and advise on the best cause of actions. But in all, Jega and his INEC team paid deaf ears.
However, we sincerely hope and pray that this around, Deltans expectations of a free and fair governorship election come April 11 will not be cut short with INEC’s disappointment of been able to ensure this. We expect a free and fair election in Delta State where PEOPLES’ VOTES WILL COUNT, and not the ‘business as usual’ we have had in past elections. Let the right things be done for posterity sake, this we urge.
Zik Gbemre,JP.
National Coordinator
Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)
No.28, Opi Street Ugboroke Layout, Effurun-Warri,
P.O. Box 2254, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.
Tel: +2348026428271
+2348052106013
Website: www.ndpc-zik.org
