Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta, Chief Ayirimi Emami, says the fraudulent manner in which state governments conduct their local government elections to favour their party is one of the evils associated with the proposed establishment of state police in the country.
Emami spoke late Monday at intervals to mammoth crowds during the APC Local Government Campaign rally at Ogbe-ijoh and Koko in Warri South-West and Warri North local government areas of the state ahead of the local government election slated for Saturday, July 13, 2024.
Chief Emami averred that if state governments cannot transparently and credibly conduct mere local government elections, there is no way they can manage state police which they have been clamouring for.
“They want state police, but they can’t even conduct a free and fair local government election.
“If they can’t handle this small assignment, how can they manage state police?
“We need to support President Tinubu’s call for local government autonomy to stamp out manipulation and rigging of local government election,” he pleaded.
Speaking on the local government election billed for Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Delta State, the Itsekiri chief alleged that there was a grand plan to manipulate the exercise via tactical delay or non-supply of voting materials by the umpire, Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC).
For this reason, Chief Emami urged the National Assembly to support the local government autonomy suit before the Supreme Court saying, “If there is local government autonomy, all these plots and plans would stop.”
Speaking further on the alleged plot to rig and cause violence in some parts of the state, Chief Emami reiterated that all manipulative efforts by the state government to disenfranchise voters in the three Warri local government areas will be resisted.
“We need to ensure that the election is free and fair, and we will resist any attempt to manipulate the process.
That’s why I am saying all of us must support Mr President for local government autonomy, the national assembly must act fast because if there is local government autonomy all of these plots and plans would stop.
“Imagine somebody boasting that I cannot produce a councillor in my ward. How does that sound and how will you feel about that?” he asked rhetorically.
The APC chieftain, who joined the Delta South Senatorial District chairman of the party to formally present the party’s flag to Comrade Bene Mamamu, chairmanship candidate for Warri South-West, and Chief Samuel Omamuli, chairmanship candidate for Warri North, insisted that APC will carry the day.
“APC would coast to victory in Warri South-West and Warri North and the opposition would not be allowed to carry out any act of manipulation.
“APC will participate in the local government elections if the process is free and fair. The Party would be observant, we will bring all notable television stations here to notify the world, if materials get to the polling units or not.
“We are ready for the chairmanship election. We don’t believe in hand-picking and writing results before elections.
“The opposition does not have someone with the capacity to match our candidate,” he boasted.
While receiving the party’s flag, Mamamu and Omamuli, took turns to appeal to DSIEC to ensure the conduct of the Saturday local government election is transparent and credible.
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