The All Progressives Congress (APC) Delta State, after a painstaking analysis of information/data/figures before it, has come to an irresistible conclusion that the Isoko North Constituency By-Election held on the 10th of April, 2021 was massively rigged by and for PDP by agents of political retrogression. It was nothing but a sham and/ or product of political robbery by Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa led-Government of Delta State.
It would be recalled that on the eve of the election, Delta APC drew the attention of security personnels and the general public to an undiluted information that PDP Stalwarts were reaching out to their members in neighbouring LGAs to Isoko North, for the purpose of using the permanent voters’ cards of those members at the by-election. True to APC’s genuine alarm, when PDP and its rigging machineries discovered that there was voters’ apathy towards the election besides the fact that many of their members who were disenchanted with the PDP led-Government were not ready to come out and vote for PDP Candidate on that day, they resorted to massive rigging to wit; votes buying; ranging between #4,000 to #7,000 per voter, multiple thumbprints, using their political thugs, personal security men and private security outfits to intimidate, harass and brutalized APC members and sympathizers who dare challenged them.
Specially, an undiluted information at our disposal says that a private security outfit based in Ughelli was deployed to Emevor Town by a known PDP member. From our findings, the private security personnels were not amongst security personnels deployed for the by-election in Isoko North Constituency by the relevant Authority.
The said private security men were used to terrorized APC members to the extent that some of them had to run for their dear lives. It is not surprising that the use of brute force paid off for PDP, hence Emevor Ward had the highest votes of over five thousand for PDP!
In Otor-Igho, Owhelogbo, Otor-Owhe, Iyede, Ellu, Ofagbe and Okpe-Isoko Wards and so many units in Ozoro, multiple thumbprints in connivance with ad-hoc staff of INEC was the order of the day despite the presence of un-armed security personnels. We have it on good record that the un-armed security personnels deployed for the exercise played the role of Pilate by standing aloof to the evil happenings during the period of the by-election! It is either they were instructed by God-knows-who to tow the line they towed on that day or it was the fear of not too long ago protest against the police that made the police to surrender to political vampires in the State!
Also worthy of note was that there was system failure. Information at our disposal says that all manner of cards to wit, drivers license, national identity cards and other related cards were used in carrying out multiple voting in majority of places during the Isoko North Constituency by-election. In all these, the card readers deployed for the exercise never rejected any! It is either someone hired by PDP hacked into INEC database/electronic facilities or there was compromised by some INEC top official.
Also worthy of mentioning is that more than ninety percent of INEC ad-hoc staff deployed to polling Units refused to transmit the data (the figures in their card readers) to INEC server, claiming that they were not trained on how to handle that aspect of the election!
While poverty pervades Delta State, it was disheartening that PDP Stalwarts/leaders were mobilized with between #400,000 to #500,000 per unit in the locality for votes buying. This is besides huge sums of money that were in possession of some selected PDP Stalwarts purposely for inducement of INEC ad-hoc staff, security personnels and other persons considered to be stumbling blocks to their evil agenda.
For the sake of future elections and belief/hope for a better Nigeria, Delta APC calls on Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (I.C.P.C.) and Economic and Financial Crime Commission (E.F.C.C.) to probe the processes surrounding the by-election that took place in Isoko North Constituency. Particularly the areas of malfunctioning of card readers and/ or financial crimes committed during the by-election.
APC as a party in Delta State has given certain lawful assignments to some individuals and corporate bodies to carry out on behalf of the Party. In due time, law-abiding members of the Party and the general public shall be notified of the steps the Party intends to take in the near future. The Party urges all faithful to keep hope alive.
Sylvester Imonina, Esq.,
Publicity Secretary (Caretaker) APC Delta State,
15th of April, 2021.