Bye-election: PDP, APC Square Up On Saturday, Trade Accusations In Delta

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and All Progressive Congress (APC) in Delta State, are trading accusations ahead the Saturday’s Bye-election for Isoko South constituency 1.

BIGPENNGR reports that INEC had fixed the election for Saturday following the demise of late Hon. Kenneth Ogba, whose death in June, 2021 made the constituency’s seat in the State Assembly vacant.

The bye-election slated for Saturday, September 11, is coming barely seven months after a similar election was held following the death of the member representing Isoko North Constituency and Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Tim Owhefere.

In a statement on Friday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, said it has uncovered plans by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the PDP to buy votes during the Isoko South constituency 1 bye election.

The party said that Governor Okowa and state chairman of the PDP, Kingsley Esiso had during campaigns, promised monetary reward for the party ward executives which produce the highest number of votes for the party during the scheduled bye-election.

APC, in a statement warned against deploying the State resources into vote buying schemes in the forthcoming September 11 Isoko South Constituency 1 bye-election, insisting that vote buying is an electoral crime in breach of Article 130 of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended and the 2018 revised Code of Conduct for Political Parties as stated in section VIII.

A statement by the State Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, Prophet Jones Ode Erue and signed by the APC’s Director of Publicity, Nick Ovuakporie, “cautioned Dr. Okowa and Esiso to stop frittering away the State’s enormous resources into vote buying exercise as indicated in their public utterances”.

The party stated that the alleged plan was only a confirmation of the failures of the PDP led administration reputed for corrupt practices and wastage”.

The APC stressed, that it is incontrovertible that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s APC administration has released billions of bailout funds to Okowa’s PDP overtime which unfortunately have been mismanaged by a government that is best recorded for corrupt practices, endless bank loans and disastrous projects.

The statement reads, “It is on record that the PDP is gradually going into extinction and no sane mind would take their bogus campaign promises serious”.

The statement therefore called on the voters in the Isoko South Constituency 1, “not to be hoodwinked into a calamitous mistake in voting for the PDP in the 11th September bye election scheduled for this Saturday through such financial inducements by Okowa and the PDP lackeys.

“The PDP and Governor Okowa are obviously hunted by their leadership failures which is why they could resort to offering bribes of N2million and N3million per ward to buy votes from the good people of Isoko South Constituency 1 instead of campaigning and displaying their scorecard with supposed infrastructural achievements which obviously do not exist.

“PDP government’s innumerable abysmal failures and atrocities committed against the Isoko people is unpardonable and a fundamental reason the Isoko south constituency 1 electorates must repay PDP with total rejection at the polls this Saturday and in 2023 inspite of their financial inducement.

“The APC therefore urges the Isoko South Constituency 1 voters to elect the party’s candidate, Dr. OgagaOghene Ifowodo during the Saturday bye election to give the people a quality representation at the Delta State House of Assembly and not someone who will be a puppet to the Governor and abandon them for his pocket”.

In response, the Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), urged the people of Isoko South to ignore the empty claims of the APC and mobilize massively to vote for PDP, defend their votes after the polls, and ensure comprehensive victory for the PDP.

The party urged the indigenes of Isoko South 1 to discountenance the empty threats and boasts of the APC, describing them as “pretenders who have been busy raising false alarms and crying wolf instead of campaigning vigorously and selling whatever development programme, which they don’t even have, to the people”

A Press Statement by the State Publicity Secretary, Delta PDP, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza reads: “Delta State PDP is on the march again, this time in Isoko South State Constituency 1 for the bye-election slated for Saturday, September 11, 2021, and our clarion call as always is to urge our party faithful and the good people of Isoko South to mobilize massively and come out in their numbers to vote for PDP and ensure our total victory in the polls.

“This bye-election is indeed quite dear to us for the profound reason that your son, the Late Hon. Kenneth Ogba, who you voted for in a landslide victory during the last general election, was only in his first term of giving you the quality representation you desired before the cold hands of death snatched him away from us in June, 2021.

“Isoko South people are well known for their brotherly love for one and another and we have no doubt you will come out in your large numbers again to exhibit that love you still have for him and honour his memory by voting en masse for the PDP and ensuring victory for another son of the soil who is well known to you all at the grassroots, Hon. Ovuakpoye Evivie.

“We did it in Isoko North on April 10, 2021, when we convincingly delivered Hon. Jude Ogbimi, to honour the memory and unparalleled service of the gallant member representing Isoko North Constituency and Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Tim Owhefere, who passed on in January. It is our sincere and heartfelt prayer that God will not allow any more deaths in Isokoland. The good Lord will hear our prayers and may we never have another death of any of our leaders while in office in Isoko nation. Amen.

“As usual, the PDP has embraced the Isoko South bye-election, with the same zeal, energy, and vigour that has hallmarked our preparations for all elections in the past and to establish our unwavering preparedness for this very important election, our leader, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa (Ekwueme) himself, spearheaded the very grand and robust flag-off of our campaign ahead of the by-election.

“He has also joined and motivated the campaign council and our great party leaders in Isoko South Constituency to campaign vigorously and comprehensively across all the wards and crannies of Isoko South, to show the love PDP has for the people of Isokoland, as we reassure them once again that the PDP is their party.

“It is also important to stress here that this bye-election will also be unique because INEC will introduce the new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS ) for the election, which would ensure simultaneous accreditation of voters with both fingerprints and photos to ensure the authenticity of the votes.

“This is why we urge the good people of Isoko South to come out en masse once again, on Saturday, September 11, 2021, to vote for the PDP and shame those who voted against electronic transmission of votes. There is the need to be united against those who want to divide the Isoko people, who have shown over the years that they are a united people who desire brotherly love and unity to continue to reign in Isokoland.

“Our leader, His Excellency, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Executive Governor of Delta State and the Ekwueme of the universe, confirmed during the flag-off that Isoko people are already a blessed people and Isoko nation will overcome every manipulation of lazy politicians who will not campaign but want power at all cost, to cause disaffection in the land.

“We commended our party leaders and stakeholders in the area for unanimously resolving to work in the interest of the party and its candidate for the bye-election. This is the way of the PDP because we are the party of the people. Therefore, let us mobilize Isoko South people massively to come and vote, and after voting stay and protect your votes.

“We have no doubts whatsoever that we will win convincingly and shut up the mouth of opposition once and for all by establishing one more time that Isokoland is PDP and PDP is Isoko.

“There’s no doubt whatsoever that the PDP is poised to win the Isoko South bye-election and retain its seat in the Delta State House of Assembly. While the APC is busy running down the good works of the Governor Okowa administration in Isokoland and de-marketing the people and community they now want to represent, in the eyes of the world, the PDP is forging ahead with delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Isokoland, in Education, social welfare and huge infrastructure.

“Deltans and Nigerians should therefore not be surprised when Isoko South votes overwhelmingly for PDP because they know who has their interest and welfare at heart. The people already know who to vote for”, Osuoza said.

While addressing the electorate at a PDP rally at Uro-Irri Ward 11, Irri Ward 10 and Emede Ward 5 ahead of the election, Governor Okowa had said that PDP was the only party prepared for the election and urged the people to come out enmasse and cast their votes for the party’s candidate, Mr Ovuakpoye Evivie.

Meanwhile, the member representing Isoko South Constituency II in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Chief Ferguson Onwo, has called on the people of Isoko South Constituency I to vote massively for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Assembly by-election holding tomorrow.

Onwo in a statement he personally signed, said the synergy between the people of Isoko South Constituency I and indeed the entire Isoko nation and the state government must be sustained.

While noting that the Okowa-led Government is doing its best to provide better life for Isoko South people and Deltans in general, the lawmaker urged the electorates to vote for the continuation of the good governance and the legacy of the late Hon. Kenneth Ogba, whose demise necessitated this election.

“I am implicitly confidence in the candidature of Hon. Ovuokporie Evivie. I am sure my party through the late Kenneth Ogba did not fail this Constituency. I am sure Evivie if voted into this position will continue to make the people happy just like his predecessor did.

“No Constituency in Isoko South and in the entire Isoko nation should even imagine going to the opposition. We must vote to maintain the synergy between us and the state government led my our SMART Governor, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa who is trying his best to build a stronger and people-oriented State.

“I am calling on my brothers and friends from Oleh, Emede and Irri to vote massively for the PDP. Together we can form a formidable force that will drive the Isoko agenda as we prepare for the next dispensation “, Onwo said.