Delta bye-election: CSOs to APC, DPP, others: Stop being belligerent, accept defeat

Four Civil Society Organizations have condemned the protest orchestrated against the just-concluded senatorial bye-election in Delta State.
The CSOs, including the Centre for Strategy Ethics and Value, Justice and Equity and the African Initiative for Sustainable and Positive Development, categorically told the newly-registered All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party arch-rival in the state – the Democratic Peoples Party – to accept defeat and stop being belligerent.
O’tega Emerhor of the All Progressive Congress, who polled 29,075 votes, and Ede Definone of the DPP, who scored 29,055 votes had faulted the results, wondering why the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Hon. Emmanuel Aguariavwodo of the PDP as the winner, having polled 263,024.
The candidates protested that the election was not in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution as amended.
But the groups threw their weight behind INEC, testifying to the credence and affirming to the result as declared by the commission.
They were accredited as detached stakeholders not to only monitor but to give a neutral and unbiased report on the conduct of the election.
Speaking at the Nigerian Union of Journalists Secretariat in Asaba, the state capital, Comrade Romanus Azubuike of the Centre for Strategy Ethics and Value, flanked by Izuchukwu Ndubuisi of the African Initiative for Sustainable and Positive Development and Tom Ojei, representing Justice and Equity, said as a development partner for the sustenance of democracy and good governance, “we make bold to say the election was 80 per cent free, fair and credible.”
In their five point communiqué co-signed by executives of the aforementioned CSOs, the groups claimed that sensitive and non-sensitive materials were adequately secured, escorted and effectively distributed across the eight council areas within Delta Central Senatorial District.
According to the communiqué: “The election stated in most of the Polling Units across the senatorial districts on time, although there were few cases of late arrival of materials due to the proximity and difficult terrain of some areas.”
They further said the election was adequately saved from hoodlums by the security arrangement, which according to them “culminated to a peaceful election exercise in the state.”
Aside the conductive environment, the groups insisted that voting and accreditation was carried out in line with the provisions of the law.
They however agreed that elections did not take place in three wards in Ughelli South, including Ewu I, Ewu II and Ewu III respectively due to security concerns.
The groups further flayed poor voter education and sensitization carried out by the Federal Government, INEC and various political parties, especially in the areas of zero business activities on election days to rid subsequent elections of fraud.
While commending the impartial role INEC played in the exercise, the groups recommended that proper logistical provisions be made to ensure the delivery of voting materials on time in areas of difficult terrain.