The leadership of Samagidi community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State has called on the Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and Inspector General of Police (IGP) to call the chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Chief Godwin Adode to order in order to avert the breakdown of law and order in Samagidi-Agbarha-Otor community.
The leadership accused the chairman of promoting communal war by meddling in the concluded community leadership election.
In a swift reaction, the chairman of Ughellli North, Chief Adode said it was not possible for him, as the chairman and father of the local government, to orchestrate a communal war among his own people over a community leadership election.
According to him, his grouse stemmed from the refusal of the outgoing chairman of the community, Pastor Oduesie to halt the concluded election when he so directed over an alleged bias by the chairman of the electoral body, adding that as a local government chairman, he should be expected to ensure a level playing field for all candidates for the election.
Addressing newsmen at Agbarha-Otor, the chairman of the three-man electoral committee that piloted the affairs of the just-concluded presumed credible election in the community, Chief David Onojeharho, said the outgoing chairman of the community, Pastor Simeon Oduesie constituted the electoral committee in accordance with the constitution of the committee.
According to him, the election for the new executive officers, who will pilot the affairs of the community for the next four years, was held on Saturday, June 12, 2021, at the community town hall in the presence of the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Army and vigilantes.
He alleged that the Ughelli council boss is promoting communal war in their peace-loving Samagidi Agbarha-Otor, adding that the tenure of the incumbent executive of the community would expire on 27th day of July 2021.
“In accordance with the constitution of the community, the outgoing chairman of the community constituted a three-man electoral committee to conduct the election of the community to enable the outgoing officers’ handover to the incoming officers.
“After the constitution of the electoral body, for the fear of palpable breakdown of law and order, the outgoing chairman, Pastor Simeon Oduesie notified and invited all relevant security authorities within the council area including the council chairman in a written letter to observe the election,” he disclosed.
He called on the Delta State government and IGP to come to the aid of the community in a petition also addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5, Benin City, Edo State.
In the petition, the leadership of the community alleged that upon receipt of the invitation letter to observe the community election, the Ughelli North chairman told the outgoing chairman that he was interested in the community election and that he preferred one Mr Michael Evwiekpede to be the next chairman of the community.
Chief Onojeharho in the petition also alleged that the council chairman then urged Pastor Oduesie to set aside the constitution of the community to pave way for his choice candidate, Mr Evwiekpede to emerge – an appeal the former refused to accede to.
The petitioners further alleged that on 1st of June 2021, the council boss invited his loyalists from the community and the outgoing chairman to his office and told them that the electoral committee set up by the outgoing chairman had been dissolved by his office: an action that necessitated the outgoing chairman to reconstitute the electoral committee of the community that conducted the most adjudged fairest election of the community.
“On the order of the council chairman at about 5 pm of June 12, 2021, the election day, Messers Michael Evwiekpede, Alison Ohwogaga and their cohorts invaded the premises of the electoral chairman and beat him up mercilessly, bundled him like firewood and took him to the Area Commander and the area commander refused him bail and medical attention till the following day,” the community leadership further alleged.
Meanwhile, as of the time of filing this report, there’s palpable fear in the community ahead of a rescheduled ejection by Chief Adode on June 27, 2021, as it was alleged that the council boss and his followers have threatened to feign mayhem by mobilising youths to mount bonfire to discredit the outgoing community chairman and the electoral body.
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