The All Progress Congress and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party have expressed different views over the outcome of Saturday's Delta Central Senatorial District bye-election, which was won by the PDP;
while the Democratic People's Party (DPP) has rejected the result out rightly.While the ACN said the election was marred by cases of electoral malpractices and widespread violence perpetrated by security agents and thugs, the PDP mocked the APC for poor performance.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC said there was no voting at all in most of the eight local governments and the 85 wards in the District, alleging that the PDP used armed security agents to chase away voters in opposition strongholds while thugs working under the cover of security personnel beat opposition party agents and seized voting materials in many areas.
He also aid that while state government and PDP officials openly handed money to induce voters even in wards where voters successfully resisted armed security agents, the absence of complete electoral materials meant there was no voting.
He said: ''Knowing it could not win a free and fair elections anywhere in the country, the PDP simply took measures to suppress voting in opposition strongholds during the Senatorial election.
''From what transpired in Delta on Saturday, it is clear that the PDP has resolved that there will no be a free and fair election anywhere across the country henceforth. The party's new strategy is to use security agents as agents of destabilization and suppression of votes."
Citing some instances of the malpractices and brigandage, he said the PDP employed to compromise the elections, especially in Ughelli North, Udu and Uvwie Local Government Areas.
He said, "Starting from Friday night, three Hilux vehicles brought soldiers to Okpe LG Ward 8 Collation centre to intimidate voters.
"In Sapele Ward 8, security agents beat up voters, thus scaring them away from polling units. In Udu LG Ward 7, election materials were seized by thugs.
"In Sapele Ward 4, a State Government Commissioner hired thugs to chase away voters. Worst-hit were the Polling Units 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 as well as Units 14 and 15."
He said there was no election in Ward 8 of Okpe Local Government Area due to incomplete election materials, adding that there was massive thumb printing at Ward 26 in Ughelli North, Soldiers drove away voters and opposition party agents.
Also in Ward 9, Ethiope LG, he alleged that soldiers loyal to PDP chased people from polling centres and that at Oghara Junction, PDP thugs beat up APC supporters.
But the PDP in a statement by its spokesperson, Chief Olisa Metuh berated the APC for “not being bold and sportsmanlike enough to accept its defeat.
Metuh also described the APC as “a party borne out of violence and religious extremism; a serial bad loser which always finds it difficult to accept that it does not have the support of Nigerians.”
He said in protesting against an election where it lost woefully, the APC was merely “rehearsing its excuses ahead of the 2015 general election when it will suffer the ultimate humiliation from Nigerians.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Delta North senatorial bye-election was free, fair and credible and the people freely gave their mandate to the PDP candidate."
While describing the APC as a bad loser, Meruh urged the opposition party to learn from the PDP, which he said was always willing to concede defeat.
He cited Edo and Ondo States, where he said candidates of opposition political parties won their governorship elections, yet the PDP congratulated the winners.
In his own reaction, the DPP candidate, Chief Ede Dafinone has expressed utter bewilderment over alleged rigging and irregularities in the just concluded bye-election and called for the outright cancellation of the election.
The DPP candidate in a post-election press statement on Sunday, said as far as the laws of the country defines, the exercise on Saturday cannot pass for an election but a complete sham.
"There was no election, as defined by our laws. The scale of impunity, assault, molestations and violence by the PDP, thugs/cultists and the supposed security agents was just unimaginable. The lopsided and partisan involvement of state security apparatuses in supporting the PDP and the brazen use of thugs to unleash violence and mayhem on our party members and the electorate is unprecedented.
"Delta Central were yesterday violently denied the right to choose a senator of their own. The proposed election to elect a senator was a complete sham. Thus there is now very serious concerns for the progress of our nascent democracy and diminishing hope for peace, unity and good governance of Nigeria now and in the immediate future," Chief Ede stated.
According to him: "The PDP and the government have sent, in no uncertain terms, a strong message that the security apparatus of this nation will foist the PDP on the nation at every cost. As was demonstrated yesterday in Urhobo land, security forces and the government will turn a blind eye to open violence and crimes against citizens and a section of the electorate perceived to be supporting other parties outside the PDP."
He alleged that DPP agents were openly shot at and maimed during the elections, signalling the days where elections are gun wars are back, adding that INEC officials and NYSC ad hoc personnel bluntly refused to go out to conduct the election in several places.
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