Elders deplore INECs handling of NAssembly polls in Delta

SOME leaders of the ethnic nationalities in Delta State on Wednesday met at Adagbrassa-Ugolo in Okpe Local Council and decried the violence and malpractices in the National Assembly election in the state. They asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clear the conflicting results from the polls.The leaders from Urhobo, Ijaw, Isoko, Iteskiri and Igbo ethnic groups, said they were highly disturbed by the conflicting reports emanating from INECs office in Asaba, regarding the results of the Senate and House of Representatives elections in some parts of Delta State.In a statement, which he signed on behalf of the elders, President-General of the Urhobo Progress Union, Maj.-Gen. Patrick Aziza (rtd), said: In most parts of the country, the elections were reported to be orderly and peaceful. There were, however, some reported cases of ballot box snatching, threats and intimidation, use of offensive weapons on innocent citizens and loss of lives at some voting units in Delta State.There were reported cases of serious irregularities in the voting processes in the Delta North and South Senatorial districts during the polls. The claims and counter-claims by contestants are clear indications that the Delta State Resident Electoral Commissioner and INEC field returning officers are working at cross-purposes. This does not augur well for future elections in Delta State.We, therefore, call on Prof. Attahiru Jega to immediately step in and salvage the situation and to restore credibility to any results to be announced by INEC in Asaba.The ethnic leaders also tasked President Goodluck Jonathan and INEC to do everything possible to stamp out incidents of ballot box snatching, willful destruction of ballot papers and the use of offensive weapons, particularly in the state during the next elections.They also sought the prosecution of the perpetrators of the violence associated with the election to serve as a deterrent to others and endorsed Jonathan for tomorrows election.Senator Spanner Okpozo representing the Isoko nationality was among the elders who attended the meeting.
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