The Delta State Government has said that opposition parties were not prepared for last Saturday’s local government council elections in the state.
This may not be unconnected to the allegations of rigging by the opposition parties and calls for the cancellation of the poll.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Festus Ahon, while speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Asaba, described the position as false and laughable, describing their calls for the cancellation of the polls as preposterous and ridiculous.
He said that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has continued to sustain its winning streak in the state because of the laudable programmes and projects of the party from 1999 to date.
The governor’s spokesman said the All Progressive Congress, APC, and Labour Party, LP, did not only field candidates but also refused to campaign, emphasising that the PDP was the only party that campaigned round the entire units and wards across the state.
He said: “Let me thank Deltans for coming out en masse to vote for the PDP and I also thank God for the peaceful conduct of the local government elections throughout Delta State.
“Having said that, I want to challenge the Labour Party to tell Deltans and Nigerians how many candidates they fielded in the local government election, chairmanship and councilorship candidates, and beyond that, where and where did they campaign?
“You don’t expect people to come and vote for you because you are in the Labour Party, you don’t expect people to vote for you because the election is coming up.
“You have to reach out to the people and tell them what you want to do and the need to vote for your party and your candidates. You can’t stay in your home and expect people to come and vote for you.
“As a government, we will remain focused. We won’t allow ourselves to be distracted by a few elements in the opposition parties.
“Here is a man who couldn’t even win in his own community in the last governorship election, coming up to allege that PDP rigged the election when we canvassed for votes throughout the 25 local governments, wards and units in the just concluded local government elections.
“Where were they when we were campaigning and reaching out to Deltans? Of course, Deltans have come to love PDP because of what the state government has been doing for them since 1999.”
Ahon further said Governor Oborevwori has done so well to gain the trust of the people, leading to the total victory of the party in the just concluded local government elections in the state.
“In the last one year, the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has touched the lives of Deltans in so many ways in terms of roads, healthcare, education, employment of over 3,000 teaching and non-teaching staff for primary schools, and empowerment, among others.
“Deltans have come to love the PDP, they have trust in us and we will not betray that trust,” Ahon added.
He described the PDP council chairmen and their deputies as men and women of proven integrity and challenged them to champion human capital and infrastructural development at the grassroots in line with the MORE agenda of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
He advised the newly sworn-in officials at the local government level to guard against friction, as no meaningful development could take root in any atmosphere of rancour and acrimony.
He also said the preparedness of the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC, and the professionalism of security operatives added credence to the election.