Ikimi tackles PDP over Delta bye-poll

The bye-election for the Delta Central Senatorial seat slated for Saturday  is causing a row between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with the former accusing the latter of plans to disrupt the election.
The bye-election is to fill the vacant seat in the Senate arising from the recent death of the senator representing the zone, Senator Pius Ewherido.
The APC National Vice Chairman, South South, Chief Tom Ikimi,  in a statement, said that there were frightening signals from the area, which  point  towards,“a theatre of war rather than an atmosphere of a free and fair contest.”
His words: “We now have credible information of plans hatched by the PDP who are currently in power both at the Federal and Delta State levels of Government, to cause violence in most parts of the Delta central Senatorial District in order to rig the bye-election.
“The PDP lost the seat in the 2011 general elections and it seems they now have instructions from the highest levels of their party from where a candidate was nominated, to pursue a do-or-die contest.
“Specifically, we have become aware of evil plots that key operatives of the PDP agreed in a meeting they held in Uviwe, Ughelli South, Ughelli North and Ethiope East-Sapele Local Government Areas that PDP thugs are to be used to disrupt the electoral process.
According to Ikimi, “fake military uniforms had been acquired, to be worn by PDP thugs and hoodlums who are to patrol selected areas on election day, to intimidate lawful voters, chase them away and in designated locations, unleash mayhem.” The details of the location where these meetings have been held and the identity of individuals involved are available with our party leaders in Delta Central Senatorial District, he said.
“We believe that aside from the above, the Independent National Electoral Commission is not unaware of the fragile security situation prevailing in many parts of that senatorial district, such as in Kokori, Ethiope East, where the notorious kidnap kingpin, Kelvin hails from. In the circumstance, INEC needs to give unwavering assurance to all persons in the Delta Central Senatorial District of adequate security. The deployment of military personnel to the area to provide proper security for the election is an absolute necessity,” he further stated.
He therefore, appealed to the INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, to take personal interest in the bye-election, so as to ensure that it is free, fair and credible, pointing out that the Resident Electoral Commissioner  in Delta State needed support from experienced persons to successfully handle the election.

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