The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu has commended the peaceful nature of the local government elections in Delta State, with a call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to emulate Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC), in the skillful delivery of the electoral process.
Hon. Elumelu, who represents Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State, in the Green Chambers, gave the commendation in an interview with journalists, moments after casting his votes in Ward 4, Unit 3 voting centre, at the Kandinma primary School, Onicha-Uku in Aniocha North Local Government Area.
He said: “The process of the election is peaceful; DSIEC has tried; they have left their headquarters in time and distributed the materials to the various polling units. I have had the opportunity of calling many of our persons to verify if the materials got to the various polling units on time, and they confirmed that they did. That for me is a huge improvement on the side of DSIEC.”
Answering a reporter’s question, Hon. Elumelu said it took him less than three minutes to vote, and he was done, pointing out that the process was fast as voters turned out in large numbers.
“It is natural for our people to be part of the electoral process of bringing about their representatives. You can see the crowd. It is their desire to vote for the persons they believe will represent their interest”, Elumelu said.
On what he thinks the outcome of the elections would be, the House of Reps Minority Leader said it should be a victory for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) all the way because, “we have worked hard.”
Elumelu said: “If you look at other states, marry it with what has happened, the PDP took its campaigns seriously. There is usually a common parlance that the ruling party takes everything, but this is not what the governor of Delta State has prescribed. He said ‘look, I am a democratic person and so everybody must go out there and campaign’.
“I left everything on the floor of the House as Minority leader to come, and for three weeks I was on the ground to campaign. So, that can tell you the importance attached to the exercise.”
He dismissed insinuations that PDP was out to rig the council elections, saying: “If we were set to rig we wouldn’t have campaigned; we would have just kept our votes; wait for the D-Day, and announce the results. They have done it in APC states. But here, you can see that the exercise is on, and will be completed, votes will be counted and the winner will emerge. That is what we believe in.”
Elumelu continued: “In Delta State, we pride ourselves as true democrats. I am a product of true democracy. If not because of true democracy, I am not sure I will be on the floor of the House. Deltans have always distinguished themselves in practice as it relates to true democracy.”
On his advice on the outcome of the election, Elumelu said, God gives power, and that when He gives, He chooses it all by Himself.
“So, I will advise that in this contest there will never be any loser and winner. Instead, what would be seen is the interest of every Deltan being carried by those who would emerge”, Elumelu said and urged those who emerge to carry everybody along.
“The moment you are voted in, you no longer represent the whole community,” he said.
On the performance of the state electoral body, DSIEC in the electoral process, Hon Ndudi Elumelu said: “I am very impressed with DSIEC. Materials got in time to the various polling units as prescribed by the law establishing this exercise.
“Secondly, the people’s turn out is massive, which in effect connotes that our people are desirous to elect the people that will represent their interest.
“Thirdly, everywhere is peaceful, people are eager to vote. And DSIEC has performed very, very well. I am highly impressed and I hope that INEC will emulate what DSIEC has done in this exercise in terms of timing, promptness, accessibility of materials and in terms of orderliness. These are things that come to bear in this election.”Hon. Elumelu said.
