2 persons shot dead, INEC materials destroyed in Delta

WARRI- TWO voters were shot dead in today’s National Assembly polls at Ogbe –Ogume in Ndokwa West local government area of Delta State, while vehicles and electoral materials, belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, were destroyed by armed men in Isoko South local government.

Hundreds of persons who thronged the polling units across the state did not find their names in the voter’s register and some of them, who could not wait endlessly for INEC officials to sort out the problem, went home disappointed.

Also, ballot thieves were at work, yesterday, at Ughelli and Ada- Irri, Ward 2 in Isoko South local government area, where they came with two Hilux vehicles to steal voting materials, clearly for the purpose of rigging the election.

Generally, there was large voters’ turnout in the state, yesterday, but, at the Federal Technical College (Technical), Asaba, there was complaint that after accreditation, there were no ballot papers for people to cast their vote.

The Resident INEC Commissioner in the state, Dr. Gabriel Ada expressed shock at the development and promised to find out what was amidst.

For those who could not find their names in the voter’s register, Dr. Ada said they should asked the INEC officials to the polling units to check for the names in the manual register in their possession.

At Obiaruku, the chairman of a local government in the state was said to be thumb-printing for some illiterate old women after giving them N2, 000 each, but the affected chairman denied the report, “Voting has not even started at about the time the allegation was made, how can they say I gave people money and I am thumb-printing for them”.

An eyewitness at Ogbe-Ogume said against the orders of the Inspector of Police, a politician and legal practitioner came with armed policemen, terrorizing the people, adding, “The move by his thugs to snatch ballot materials were resisted by voters, which prompted the shooting of the two persons by the policemen”

Tension mounted at the community as a result of the incident, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in Kwale who confirmed the incident was said to have mobilized men to the area to restore calm.

At Koko in Warri North local government area, it was learnt that voting materials came to the area as early as 7.00am, but there was some logistics problems, as INEC did not provide boats for the distribution of materials to the riverside communities. However, some other agencies and groups assisted in the hiring of boats for distribution.

Accreditation commenced, thereafter, and as at 12.30 pm, the governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who is from Abigbordo in Warri North local government area was said to have voted. An Itsekiri youth leader, Comrade Omolubi confirmed to Vanguard that voting had already started at about 1.00 pm.

At Issele-Uku, Ashama, Obior, there were reports that most of the voters did not see their names in the voter’s register, while the INEC officials did their best to sort out the anomalies.

In Udu and Sapele areas, where the voting materials came late, accreditation was extended to allow people participate. Coordinator of the Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, Oghenejabor Ikimi told Sunday Vanguard at about 1.00 pm that accreditation was still going on in Udu area.

Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chief Paulinus Akpeki told Sunday Vanguard at about 11.00 am, “Accreditation is yet to commence”, but two hours, 8 minutes later, that is 1.08 pm, he stated, “Election materials have arrived, INEC have distributed materials to all the voting units and accreditation is on, but the DPP is going about with rumour that election materials have been diverted, that is not true”.

Reports from Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri-South-West local government area as at 10.30 said the voting process was going on in an orderly manner and at Umunede, accreditation started at about 8.30 am and voting was already on as at 12.00 pm.

At about 9.30 am in Agbor, some traders went to sell their goods but told newsmen that they would report at the polling units to accreditation and voting later.

At Bomadi, the House of Representatives polls did not hold but the senatorial election took place peacefully.

From Akwukwu-Igbo, the headquarters of Oshimili North local government area, it was learnt that accreditation and voting was peaceful. The situation was also calm at Ibusa and Okpanam in the same local government.

By 12.20 pm, voting had already commenced at Umunede community, while some voters at Ogwashi-Uku were agitating that their names were not found in the voter’s register.

INEC officials arrived Abavo community at about 10.30 am voters waiting for them to come in with electoral materials but accreditation and voting started later in the day.