BY EMMA AMAIZE & FESTUS AHON
LAST Thursday’s gubernatorial re-run in Delta State was not a perfect election, as has been confirmed by the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, but, it was unquestionably better than the nullified April 14, 2007 gubernatorial election, where many complained that they did not see the ballot paper, let alone exercising their democratic mandate.

At most of the polling units, people could not find their names on the voter-register and so, could not vote for their candidate, but it is hoped, however, that with the revision  of the  register, which commences this Saturday, the commission will correct the anomaly.

Also, there were many cases of snatching of ballot boxes by party thugs, despite the huge number of policemen deployed in the state to monitor the election.

Voters being accredited at Ojojo Primary School, Warri in Okere Ward, Warri South Council Area.

At a polling centre in Ojojo Primary School, Warri, in Warri South Local Government Area, the NYSC polling officers ran for safety with the policemen assigned to provide them security to a nearby military checkpoint, when news came that some gunmen were coming to snatch ballot boxes from the unit after carrying out a similar act at a polling centre, by NBTC polling unit at Warri Market Road.

Indeed, three NYSC polling officers and a policeman were kidnapped and whisked away with ballot boxes from the polling unit, so it was in Ovwian, Osubi, Sapele and Isoko areas of the state

Election in Ughelli North Local Government Area in the re-run election was said to have been cancelled following alleged cases of electoral malpractices and thuggery that trailed the poll  but the results were released later.

Since 1999, results in Ughelli North Local Government Area have not been counted in governorship elections and the same thing almost happened on Thursday. In the 1999, 2003 and 2007 elections, results for the gubernatorial election were cancelled in the area. The jinx was  broken this time round.

There were obvious cases of irregularities in some wards. In Owevwe-Agbarha, two youths suspected to be PDP faithful, were shot dead, while three others escaped with  bullet wounds for allegedly snatching ballot papers.

They were rebuffed by other youths in the community who believed that elections should be devoid of any form of malpractice. According to reports, the youths,  who were armed, stormed the collation centre shooting sporadically into the air to scare people away.

They were, however, ambushed by youths believed to be members of DPP. The vehicle conveying the suspected PDP faithful was abandoned by the hoodlums and the stolen results were recovered.

At Uwheru, 12 youths were arrested by the police for violating the electoral rules, while the returning officer for Agbarho ward I1 was manhandled and stripped of her clothes. The woman, who was rescued by Good Samaritans, was dispossessed of her personal belongings and the electoral materials assigned to her.

Besides the logistics problems, which INEC faced in the conduct of the re-run in the state, an important area the government has to address is security. While there was reasonable security in some areas, it was lacking in some areas, making armed thugs to have a field day.

In Ekrerhavwen-Agbarho, also in Agbarho ward 11, a youth was given a serious beating of his life, when he stormed the serene community attempting to make away with already collated electoral results. Some youths were also reportedly arrested at Government College, Ughelli, while attempting to steal ballot materials.

Chairman of PDP in Delta Central, Mr. Terry Noah, was held hostage in his Agbarha-Otor country home by aggrieved youths, lamenting that they had worked so hard for the party but had nothing to show for their labour. According to a reliable source, the PDP stalwart was released for a ransom.

Gubernatorial candidate of the Republican Party of Nigeria, RPN, Chief Ovie Omo-Agege, who voted at about 2:55, expressed dissatisfaction with irregularities in some parts of the state.

Omo-Agege alleged that there were cases of hijack of materials in Oshimili North and Warri South West, adding that “the PDP is not on ground in the state because they have unmarketable candidate.” Chairman of DPP in Erhobaro-Orogun, Mr. Sheriff Emesiri, alleged that there were no voting materials in the community.

At Ughevwughe, Jeremi ward 1 in Ughelli South Local Government Area, it took the intervention of some political bigwigs to prevent the burning of houses belonging to political leaders in the area. There were also cases of electoral malpractices in Uzere and Igbide, Isoko South Local Government Area, which led to the cancellation of results in the two wards. In Isoko North Local Government Area, there were also cases of electoral violence in Owhe-Ologbo and Akie-Owhe.