Governor Ifeanyi Okowa

As advocates and lovers of democracy, and free and fair elections in Nigeria, we consider it necessary to draw the attention of relevant Authorities of the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Security (DSS), and the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to the above subject complaint and request to take the suggested line of action. This is hinged on the following facts:

That, without bias, we can unarguably say that the March 9th, 2019 Gubernatorial election in Delta State, was the worst election ever conducted in Delta; where PDP thugs armed with weapons, had a field day as they snatched and burnt ballot papers and result sheets in All Progressive Congress (APC) strongholds, carried out over voting, vote buying, and other high-degree of election malpractices with impunity. In other words, as independent unofficial election observers that were on ground throughout the Gubernatorial election in Delta State, we can conclusively say that there was no Gubernatorial election held in Delta State on March 9th, 2019.
That, we have reasons to believe that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, strategically interfered and forcefully influenced the process of the said Gubernatorial election in Delta State on the said date, to allegedly manipulate the final outcome of the election results in PDP’s favour, which was what was announced by allegedly compromised INEC Officials.
That, this was drawn from our own observation, and re-echoed and confirmed by the APC Gubernatorial candidate for Delta State, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru, during a Press Briefing he called for in Abraka, Delta State, after the announcement of the supposed Delta State Gubernatorial election results by INEC.
That, in the said Press Briefing, which has already gone viral on different social media platforms, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru noted how: Up until few hours to the conclusion of the Gubernatorial polls in Delta State on the said election day – March 9th, 2019, elections were going smoothly and it was becoming clear that the APC would win. But it was just after mid-day, that was when armed PDP thugs and uniform persons obviously working in cohort with the PDP in Delta State, started invading all polling units across the State and raining terror on party agents, INEC agents and defenseless voters. They practically went from one polling unit to the other, either snatching ballot boxes, and where they perceived that the APC had significant votes, they destroyed or burnt the ballot papers in those polling units under the watchful eyes of persons in uniforms. In his words: “we do not know if the said persons wearing uniforms were fake, or if they were persons employed by the State. But suffice it to say that this bastardly act happened under the watch of persons wearing uniforms.”
That, this evil plot orchestrated and carried by the PDP in Delta State, happened in almost all the Local Government Areas in Delta State without exemption. Ogboru noted how: “for instance, in Burutu and Bomadi, voting actually started on Friday evening March 8th, 2019 (which was a day before the election). But despite the fact that several complaints were made to relevant authorities, nobody heeded the calls neither was anything done about it. On the day of the election proper, it became apparent that indeed, some persons had actually started their usual practice of undermining the electorates in Delta State. We thought that this issue with PDP habit of rigging will be restricted or recorded only in some certain riverine communities. But when it started in Sapele, Uvwie, Udu, Ughelli South, Okpe, Delta Central, Ukwani, Ndokwa West, Ndokwa East, Ika North East, Ika South, Oshiomili, Aniocha, Delta North; it became clear to many that the PDP never really prepared for any election whatsoever. They already know that in a well-conducted election, they will not be able to withstand the will of the people of Delta State. So, what they simply did was to recruit and arm thugs from outside the State. In some cases, we are told that some of the uniform persons were actually thugs of the PDP. And it is with the aid of these thugs, and clandestine persons, that they were able to undermine the will of the people of Delta State.”
That, in the said Press Briefing, Ogboru noted how “the people of Delta State, as many can see, are in a mourning mood because the will of the people have not been expressed in those polls that took place on Saturday March 9th, 2019. Though, attempts were made to instruct INEC to suspend the announcement of the election results because the results being announced were far in excess of what we know could have happened in the State, yet those results were announced. But the INEC Accreditation Records from their Data base, collaborates with what we are saying. In other words, it was not as they claimed. As the voters did not actually turn up at the various polling centers as much as being announced. INEC as at today, has less than 600,000 people Accredited as voters in Delta State. But the Gubernatorial election votes announced for Delta State exceeded 1.1million. That means, over 500 people who were not accredited (supposedly) voted in the said Gubernatorial election in Delta State. We all would agree that this is a very serious issue.”
That, it was also noted how the “they (the PDP in Delta State) practically positioned themselves like super umpire; making sure that they directed compromised INEC officers as they pleased, and removed every person who did not cooperate with them, out of the scene. Most of the APC party agents were said to have been driven away from collation centers, and collation in certain places took place outside the prescribed environment where the collation was supposed to take place. At the Ward level, Ward collation should have taken place at the Wards. But where the PDP had their ulterior motives, they made sure that collation did not take place at those Ward levels, as everyone concerned are scattered to allow them have their way.” These are serious allegations raised that should not be swept under the carpet.
That, for us, in all the points raised above, the one that stood out most, which justifies the need for the said INEC Officials concerned to be investigated, is the fact that INEC as at today, has 557, 384 in Total, of people Accredited as voters in Delta State. But the Gubernatorial election votes announced for Delta State exceeded 1.1million. That means, over 500 people who were ‘NOT ACCREDITED’, supposedly voted in the said Gubernatorial election in Delta State. Also, from the results announced, it was noted that in rural communities of Bomadi LGA, election figures announced in this area for instance was far more than the ones announced in densely populated areas like Warri Central (Warri Urban), Uvwie, Udu, Ughelli South, Ughelli North and Sapele LGAs. We all would agree that this is not normal, and it is a very serious issue that obviously suggests that INEC, did not only contradict themselves, but was also allegedly heavily compromised and influenced to announce the election results they did in favour of the PDP in Delta State.
That, this is important when we consider the fact that despite all the calls and complaints made by relevant stakeholders and the APC in Delta State to INEC about the clandestine activities of the PDP in Delta State, and the need for them to suspend and cancel the election results being announced, the INEC Officials concerned still went ahead to announce the said results and declare Dr, Ifeanyi Okowa of the PDP winner of the said Gubernatorial election in Delta State. Whereas, in other States like Rivers, Sokoto, Adamawa, Plateau and other areas that had similar issues of election malpractices and clichés like we had in Delta State, INEC held back the election results in those places to first investigate and ascertain the ‘TRUE REALITIES ON GROUND’ in the said areas before final election results were considered. If the INEC can do this on other States, why did they not give the same benefit of doubt in Delta State? This again, justifies the fact that something is wrong somewhere.
It is on the basis of the above points, and the issues raised by Great Ovedje Ogboru, that we urge the relevant authorities stated to properly investigate the Resident INEC Commissioner for Delta State, the Chief Returning Officer for Delta State and all the Electoral Officers (EOs) of INEC in each of the LGAs of Delta State that participated in the March 9th Gubernatorial election in Delta State. The said investigation should cover all areas of their lives to fitch out any evidence that would suggest them being compromised by the PDP in Delta State. This is because without the collaboration and cooperation of these INEC Officials, the PDP in Delta State could not have gotten the votes they did in the said Gubernatorial election.
We believe this line of action, when successfully carried out to the latter, should serve as deterrent to others, particularly INEC officials who ought to be men and women of integrity for Nigerians to be assured of free and fair elections. We ask that the issues raised here should be given the needed attention as advised.

Zik Gbemre.

National Coordinator

Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)

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