By Perez Brisibe

THE ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP of Delta State and the All Progressives Congress, APC, will tmorrow, Saturday, January 6 slug it out in an election that would serve as a litmus test for both political parties ahead of the 2019 general elections.

APC & PDP

Though the chairman, Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC, Chief Mike Ogbodu during a media parley at Asaba, said that 16 political parties are participating in the election, Vanguard can confirm that some of the parties are fielding candidates in only  selected constituencies and positions.

The Labour Party chairman, Chief Tony Ezeagwu said the party would be fielding just three chairmanship candidates. The chairman of the state chapter of the Young Democratic Party, YDP, Barrister Festus Ofume has also confirmed that the party is only fielding candidates in only concillorship positions in selected Local Government Areas.

The PDP and the APC are, however, battling it out in all the 25 Local Government Areas of the state.

DSIEC, political parties’ biker over neutrality claim

The electoral boss had in getting the buy-in of stakeholders reiterated that the commission would ensure a level playing ground for all political parties adding that “the commission is adequately ready to conduct the election which will be free and fair, devoid of rancor and manipulation.”

This, however, did not go down well with the opposition parties in the state with the APC expressing worries over the “neutrality” of DSIEC while the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, has already filed a suit against the commission at a Federal High Court, Abuja over the conduct of the election.

The party’s national treasurer, Julius Bobi while giving reasons for the suit against DSIEC and 8 others described the electoral body as “an extension of the Government House of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa” adding that “nothing free and fair will come out from the conduct of the election” which he said: “Is out to embarrass Deltans with the election.”

On its part, the state APC publicity secretary, Leonard Obibi while reacting to the neutrality claims by Ogbodu, said: “Experience has shown that in many of the states, the supposedly independent electoral commissions are in contrast, not really independent.”

The fears by the political parties is coming on the heels of previous council elections conducted in states like Enugu, Ekiti, Kwara and Akwa Ibom where the ruling party won all chairmanship positions contested for.

However, since the inception of the present democratic governance in 1999, the PDP has remained the dominant political platform in the state and has won all chairmanship positions across the 25 council areas with previous elections recording cases of delay in the arrival of electoral materials and pockets of violence in some flash prone areas.

PDP’s win in previous LG polls

Though some opposition parties made slight inroads in elections into the state and National Assembly, the defeat of the PDP in the 2015 presidential election has encouraged members of the APC in the state to dare to alter the apple-cart.

The strength of both political parties would be tested this Saturday unlike in times past when most PDP chairmanship and councillorship candidates were returned unopposed following the inability of opposition parties to field candidates.

Though the campaigns have been vibrant for the PDP, it is believed that the incumbency factor would play a huge role in the election as members and chairman of DESIEC, were nominated by the PDP led government with the APC kicking against one of the commission’s members, Light Oritseweyinmi Diden, who is the wife of the member representing Warri North constituency in the State Assembly, Michael Diden and a card carrying members of the PDP. Diden is also one of the closest confidants of the governor.

The APC which claims to be more on ground than the PDP is also relying on the entrants of political heavyweights such as Chief Ominimini Obivwi, Dr. Cairo Ojugboh, former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Ochie and a host of others who recently joined its fold.

Opposition to tackle PDP in strongholds

APC would be fielding candidates in all the 25 chairmanship seats alongside other parties like LP, All Progressives Grand Alliance and a host of others as they test their popularity at the grassroots level.

The party is expected to put a strong fight in Ughelli North and Ethiope East local government areas where the leader of the party, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, senator representing Delta Central senatorial district, Obaisi Ovie Omo-Agege, Great Ovadje Ogboru, Hon Solomon Edojah and a host of others are from.

Why PDP should be voted out— APC

The APC campaign train led by its chairman, Jones Erue, during the campaigns tried to focus on the backlog of salaries of local government workers some of whom are owed 12 months as a reason for the PDP to be voted out of office.

Campaigning on the backlog of salaries owed local government workers, non-payment of entitlements, gratuities and benefits for retired workers in the state describing the government of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as a governor who is “not workers friendly”.

He had also accused the PDP government in the state of taking credit for the N28billion loan package offered to the 35 states of the federation by President Buhari to pay local government workers’ salaries.”

PDP’s promises

The PDP campaign tour had also witnessed a massive turnout of enthusiastic party members and teeming supporters, as the governor in series of rallies across the state, promised that the PDP would emerge victorious in clinching all the chairmanship positions.

The governor and his entourage used the campaign period to showcase the SMART agenda of his administration. In some cases, the PDP team led by the state governor was accompanied by party chieftains like former Governors James Ibori and Emmanuel Uduaghan.

In some areas, the PDP campaign also promised to provide more funding for the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, DESOPADEC and consolidate on his developmental and ongoing projects in the state.

Either way it goes, political actors are looking forward to the election as a test of the grit and grip the Okowa administration has on the state and also, as a test on the capacity of the opposition to disentangle the state from the Okowa led PDP.