The immediate past governor of Delta State and the Delta South Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has expressed optimism that Chief Great Ogboru will win the Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
Uduaghan, who voted at about 12:05pm at Ward 6, Unit 1 at his Abigborodo country-home in Warri North Local Government Area of the state, commended INEC for an improved exercise.
The former governor told journalists after voting that security for the election was beefed up following the violence that broke out during the Presidential and National Assembly .
Speaking on the chances of his APC governorship candidate, Uduaghan said, “We are optimistic. Let us get the results first; let me get the reports first because I don’t know what is happening in other areas.
“I don’t know whether people are behaving, misbehaving or there is a security challenge. So, it is difficult for me to just give a verdict.”
While speaking generally on the exercise, the former governor added, “About two days, they (INEC officials) started sending out the materials to the various local government councils and by yesterday, the materials would have been at the RAC (Registration Area Centres) and Abigborodo is a centre.
“But I think my party in Warri North protested. Based on our security experience, if you take the materials a day before the voting to any of the riverine areas, it is a very risky business because people can go there at night and vandalise them. So, I think the party protested and INEC evaluated. So, it was this morning that they (INEC officials) left Koko but it was much earlier than the last time.
“I will not be surprised in the case of Sapele because you know that in the last exercise, there were some skirmishes and people died. So, I think the security is tighter in these elections because of what happened in the previous elections.
“The security agencies usually evaluate what is on ground based on information and, of course, intelligence report. So, maybe the security arrangement, this time, was because of previous experience, currently information and intelligence report, which I don’t know.”
Similarly, the 2015 governorship candidate of the party and APC leader in the state, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor scored the exercise as being generally peaceful and orderly.
Emerhor, who voted his hometown in Evwreni in Ughelli North Local Government Area, said he was sure that the candidate of his party, Chief Great Ogboru will become victorious at the election.
He said, “We started very early. We didn’t have logistics problem this time around as far as this ward is concern. I already cast my vote for my party. Unlike the Presidential/National Assembly elections where some of the card readers malfunctioned. The card readers had been excellent.
“I can see visible improvement and excitement everywhere. We also hope to get results quickly as the exercise is over. It’s my expectation that we (APC) will win.”
Also, the Senator-elect and the Senator representing Delta Central at the National Assembly, Ovie Omo-Agege has said he was confident that Chief Ogboru would win with landslide.
Omo-Agege, who sspoke with journalists at Orogun in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state, said despite alleged irregularities in some council area, Ogboru would still win at the end of the day.
The lawmaker urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do the right thing in places that had been alleged to massive rigging in the election.
