As alleged plans to manipulate the results of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections continue in Delta South senatorial district, the Peoples Democratic Party in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta state has allegedly kidnapped four ad-hoc staff members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The party also allegedly bypassed the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) in Warri South, Warri North, Warri South West and Isoko North councils of the state.
There are allegations that the chairman of the Isoko North PDP, Godwin Ogorugba in connivance with some of the party’s chieftains in the area supporting the Delta South PDP senatorial candidate, Michael Diden, aka Ejele, is allegedly behind the sudden disappearance of the four affected ad-hoc staff members who are the Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) in charge of Ellu wards 3, Ofagbe ward 4, Owhologbo ward 5 and Otibio ward 13 in Isoko North council.
Speaking with newsmen, a PDP member and former supervisory councillor in Isoko North, spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the sudden disappearance of the four SPOs allegedly sponsored by the PDP was to manipulate the results in favour of the party’s Delta South senatorial candidate against the candidate of the APC, Joel Onowakpo-Thomas.
Meanwhile, since Sunday, members and supporters of the PDP have been jubilating while results are yet to be declared by INEC in Isoko nation.
“As I talk to you now, the INEC office in Isoko North is deserted and the whereabouts of the four SPOs are not known since yesterday till this moment.
“The Isoko North PDP chairman and some powerful chieftains of the party in the local government area are solidly behind the disappearance of the four collation officers just to favour the party’s senatorial candidate, Ejele against the APC candidate JOT. PDP knows what happened to the four SPOs in wards 3, 4, 5 and 13. Mine is to allow the process to flow freely and not try to manipulate the system.
“I am a full-blooded PDP man but I don’t support evil. If my party, wins so be it and if APC wins, so be it but the system must not be manipulated. I heard a huge amount of money was used to bribe the SPOs by the PDP.
“There was serious bypassing of the BVAS in some local government areas in Delta South senatorial district by PDP all for their senatorial candidate, Ejele to win the election.
“Since the elections, we have not set our eyes on these four SPOs. The results for these four wards in Isoko North are with them. And they have kept everybody waiting for the past 24 hours till this moment.
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“Let them release the four SPOs to come and do their work. Ward 13 is Otibio and that’s the ward of the PDP Isoko North chairman. The presidential and National Assembly results are still with these guys just to manipulate the whole system in favour of the PDP.
“If we are so sure and confident that PDP won all these wards why kidnapping the four SPOs? Ogorugba was also the same person who told Isoko North PDP delegates to vote for Ejele during the party’s primaries.”
The state governor and the PDP vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Ifeanyi Okowa, had allegedly planned to manipulate the results of the elections in Delta South senatorial district of the state.
Sources accused Okowa of using some of his party men in Isoko South to favour his political ally, former chairman of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Commission, (DESOPADEC) and Delta South PDP senatorial candidate, Michael Diden, popularly known as Ejele.
When contacted to speak on the disappearance of the four SPOs, Isoko North PDP chairman, Ogorugba, denied any involvement in their disappearance.
“We are even worried over the disappearance of the four INEC ad-hoc staff after the elections. They travelled after the elections and I even queried their travelling.
“This is what you get when politicians are allowed to select INEC ad-hoc staff for elections. But please don’t report any story, I am pleading with you,” Ogorugba said.
At the time of filing this report when SaharaReporters visited the Isoko North office of INEC at Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area of the state, the office was deserted while the results were still being expected at the Delta South collation centre in Oleh.
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