Delta AP guber candidate okays Jan 6 re-run

By Emma Amaize
GUBERNATORIAL Candidate of the Accord Party, AP, in Delta State, Mr. Peter  Osalor, Thursday, deferred with those calling for the postponement of the January 6 gubernatorial re-run in the state, saying that the  Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, should go ahead with conduct of the election with the old voters’ register.

Mr. Osalor,  who spoke to Vanguard in an interview in Warri said, “it is a re-run, we are running it as if it was in 2007, so it is only fair for INEC to use the old voters’ register but for transparency, for the new Delta State and for the new INEC, which Prof Attahiru Jega represents, it should do things thoroughly. It is only a mad man that does same thing over and over and expects a different result.

“However, INEC has the final say on the date of the election. It is not us (gubernatorial candidates) to fix the date for election.  The Court of Appeal gave INEC 90 days.  INEC can choose to do it in one week within the 90 days or one month within the 90 days or on exactly the 90th day. However, whatever INEC decides to do with the election in the final analysis, it will be judged on its fairness.

“I am okay with the January 6 date because I believe INEC will get it right. If they don’t get it right, that is bad, ” the AP gubernatorial standard-bearer said. He added that when he  contacted a top official of the commission in Asaba, on the matter, some weeks ago, the official told him that  if  INEC could not produce a new voters register because of exigency of time,  the old register will be  updated to eliminate ghost names and other anomalies.

“I was in INEC office in Asaba, myself and the official told me that the commission was working on the old register to update and improve it, which is to remove fictitious names, wherever found,  and make sure people were put in the right wards and local government areas.”

“The voting on January 6, is only going to take just few hours. It cannot be  from morning to evening, so the old voters register should be updated,” he said.