The much-anticipated Ekredjebo Youth election has been put on hold, following a ‘security threat’ capable of causing a breakdown of law and order.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the cancellation of the election, the Director of Youth Mobilization and Leadership, Ministry of Youth Development, Delta State, Mr. Ogaga Aghogho, said if the election is allowed to continue, there could be chaos in the community and the LGA as a whole.
According to him, the office of Youth Mobilization and leadership, held a series of meetings with all contestants in the election and agreed on a delegate election, but some persons in the community protested to the council chairman that they do not want a delegate election, but an open ballot.
“When they came to my office, we all agreed on a delegate election and I wrote a letter to the community to inform them that the election would be a delegate election, but a group of persons protested at the council secretariat that they didn’t want a delegate election, but an open ballot election.
“On Tuesday, at the instance of the representatives of the council, representatives of the palace and representatives of police and UDU, we screened all contestants for the youth election. I reiterated my earlier stand that the election will be difficult to manage if conducted with open balloting. They assured that they will manage it.
“When I got there to conduct the election, the same people who protested against the delegate election were calling for a delegate election.
“All concerned has now agreed that the seven families in Ekredjebo community should bring their delegates for the election at a new date to be announced in a month’s time”.
One of the contestants for the youth chairmanship position, Mr. Timothy Ikperha, expressed dissatisfaction with the cancellation of the election and berated the electoral umpire for dancing to the tune of those who refused to honour the state government’s invitation and orders.
“The issue of the Ekredjebo community’s election has been lingering for a long time. The state government invited us twice, but my opponent refused to honour the invitation. Then, the council chairman, Olorogun Jaro Egbo, invited us twice, but they turned down his invitations, rather, they ran to the palace.
“The state government mandated the council chairman to invite the whole community to address the election issue and it resolved that the election should by delegate basis and the outcome of the meeting was communicated to all security agencies but those who refused to honour the chairman’s invitation protested to the council demanding for “Option A” election system and the council chairman approved it for them, but coming here the same people who said they don’t want delegate election are now calling for delegate election”.
While calling on the Delta State Government to take proactive measures to address the issue, he said he suspected foul play, saying after the electoral body for the election allowed voters in for accreditation, they asked them to queue behind their candidates and immediately they discovered that those queuing behind me were more than those queuing behind my opponent, they said the election could no longer hold and that if it must hold, will be a delegate election.
“I am not happy, they are costing me my hard-earned resources and time, the same people who protested against delegate election are now calling for delegate election on the day of the election and the electoral body listened to them and cancelled the election”.
Meanwhile, the former deputy national president of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Youth Wing, Engr. Frank Oyibodoro has criticized the cancellation of the election, saying the electoral body did not have any justifiable reason to cancel the election.
“I foresaw a hidden agenda, I suspect there is a special interest from some quarters, hence the election was moved from the Ekredjebo community town hall to the Ughelli kingdom hall.
“I did not see any security breach in the election venue that warranted the sudden cancellation of the election by the electoral body. It is questionable. I see that there are some major concerns over the election, which was why the electoral body saw that somebody was winning and suddenly canceled the election”.
