THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been urged to disregard the call for the postponement of Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections in four local government areas of Delta State.
A youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and lawyer from Burutu Local Government Area, Mr Pele Demebide, on Tuesday, called on INEC to cancel the Saturday polls in Burutu, Bomadi, Patani and Warri South West local government areas of the State, citing security reasons relating to militants hijacking electoral materials.
But the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Edwin Omorun, in Ward 7, Burutu, said the APC youth leader should not be taken seriously by well-meaning Nigerians including members of APC, the INEC and the Federal Government.
“The attention of PDP, Ward 7 Burutu LGA Chapter has been drawn to a puerile press interview granted by Mr Arekedoumene Pele Demebide at the just-concluded town hall meeting held in Effurun, Delta State by the APC.
“The leadership of our great Party would not have responded to such fellow whose stock in trade is to propagate falsehood just to score cheap publicity and to eke out a living by it but the unsuspecting Nigerians who may be deceived by his pirated inveighs.
“Granted that the said Demebide is from Ayakoromo, headquarters of Ward 7 in Burutu LGA of Delta, he should not be taken seriously by well-meaning Nigerians including members of his acclaimed political party (APC),” he stated.
He warned the APC government not to be lured by Demebide’s “warped, but baleful mischiefs into taking steps that will breach the existing peace in the creeks,” adding that “election materials in the last presidential and National Assembly elections were not hijacked in any of the riverine areas in Delta State.”
The PDP chieftain added that elections in the last presidential and National Assembly elections were conducted peacefully in the Ward with security agencies fully on the ground to monitor the exercise.
Omorun disclosed that most riverine areas in the State are still very tensed as movements are being restricted and boats thoroughly searched at various military checkpoints even as of Tuesday.
While noting that elections should not be a do-or-die affair, the PDP chieftain called on the FG to ignore the postponement call in the interest of peace, fairness and equity.
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