Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijaw axis of Delta State have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone Saturday governorship and House of Assembly elections in four local government areas.
They attribute the reason to security threats and alleged lack of adequate security and protection of lives and property in the local government areas ahead of the Saturday polls.
The four local government areas said to be under security threats are Burutu, Bomadi, Patani and Warri South West of the state.
The leaders, including youths, also alleged that militants have taken over the rivers reminiscent of what transpired on February 23 where it was alleged that militants confiscated ballot papers and thumb printed them for a particular party.
Leading the crop of APC leaders in the local government areas in the call was Mr Pele Demebide, a lawyer, who said the only way to ensure free, fair and credible polls in the areas was for INEC to postpone the elections of Saturday.
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He said that would give the umpire the ample opportunity to secure the rivers, communities and people, whom, he said, were currently afraid of exercising their franchise on Saturday.
TribuneOnline had reported on Monday that Mr Demebide had, at the Townhall meeting at PTI Conference Centre, Effurun with President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, alleged that there was no election in the four local government areas due to the untoward activities of militants.
He blared before the cameras that unless the security situation was taken care of, Saturday polls would be another charade.
“I’m an Ijaw man, from Ayakoromo. In the last election, the PDP people have a camp being guarded by militants.
“I know some of them. They hijacked all the electoral materials for Patani, Burutu, Bomadi and Warri South West.
“The location where they thumbprint is Unit 21 in Ayakoromo village. I know the place.
“They hijacked electoral materials, went there and began to thumbprint. There was no election in those areas.
“All the votes from the areas were thumb printed by militants from there.
“I’m begging that for us (APC) to win Saturday polls, the riverine areas should be militarised and the militants arrested,” he pleaded.
VP Osinbajo had responded that a special security focus would be on Delta State on Saturday to ensure it’s taken over for the progressives.