Delta Senatorial Election: Dafinone heads to Election Tribunal

Posted by African Examiner News Friday, October 18th, 2013

By Ayo Balogun

The last appears not to have been heard of the Delta Central Senatorial bye-election in Delta State, Nigeria as the candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) has vowed to contest the outcome of the poll at the Election Petition Tribunal.

INEC Chairman Pro. Attahiru Jega

The DPP senatorial candidate, Chief Ede Dafinone is contesting the victory of Mr. Emmanuel Aguariavwodo of the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP) for Delta Central Senatorial District.

In a statement issued in Sapele, the DPP candidate described the April 12 bye- election as political denial perpetrated against Urhobo, the 5th largest ethnic group in Nigeria.

“There is little recognition of Urhobo at the federal and state levels in terms of appointments and positions. Similarly, the interference in the last election where the candidate foisted on the PDP in Delta State is again foisted and this time forcefully on the people of Delta Central,” he said.

The DPP candidate, who is not pleased with the result of the election where PDP was declared winner flayed the exercise which he alleged was not free and fair and was enmeshed in violence and intimidation of voters.

He condemned the reckless desperation, the sheer treachery and lawlessness of leaders of the PDP in the state and accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of overturning the rule of fairness and allocating victory to the PDP.

“We reject this outright robbery of the people’s will. We condemn this grievous injustice, this unconscionable mockery of all that is decent, of all that is fair and just. The army and INEC, both Federal Government institutions worked with the PDP’s candidate to ensure his victory.

“The PDP used the army to unleash terror on the people of Delta Central. For hours, gun shots rent the air and the people were clobbered. Also, the announced result shows PDP in first place. As if that is not bad enough, the result shows All Progressives Congress (APC) in second place with DPP, the Populist Party in the third place. All that combines to make the whole result laughable,” he said.

Dafinone said the party’s legal team had been told to head to the poll tribunal.

“As law abiding citizens, we intend to explore all legal means to ensure this sham of an election is cancelled. We shall be proceeding to the election petition tribunal to present our case,” he stated.