Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori has said he believes in free, fair, credible elections.
Governor Oborevwori made the remark at the grand finale and mega rally of the party in Asaba today on the local government council elections on Saturday.
While predicting victory for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chairmanship and councilorship candidates, he commended the party’s candidates for following his footsteps by campaigning from community to community, unit to unit and ward to ward.
He said the mega rally has afforded him the opportunity to campaign for the party’s candidates in Asaba and thanked the party’s founding fathers for their continuous support.
The Governor at the event, took a swipe at a former Governorship candidate in the state, for going to a live television programme to allege that the election would be rigged.
According to the Governor, it was unfortunate that those who could not win their polling units in an election where they were candidates could allege rigging in an election that was yet to be conducted.
“I was watching Arise Television yesterday and the Labour Party candidate for the 2023 Governorship election in Delta State, who couldn’t secure up to 50,000 votes in the last Governorship election is already cooking up allegations of rigging in the Saturday Local Government Council elections.
“A man who lost in his polling unit in the general election went to Arise Television to allege rigging but to the best of my knowledge, the electoral umpire has assured us that modalities have been put in place for the election to be free and fair.
“You all voted for me in a free and fair contest, so, as you leave here today, use tomorrow which is the last day for the campaigns to do roadshow, and tell the people to come out on Saturday with their Permanent Voters Card, PVC, to vote for all our party’s candidates.
“Don’t assume that they will write any result, because any result that is not genuine, whether for chairman or councillor will not be accepted,” the governor said.
He thanked the chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Udu Local Government for decamping to the PDP, asserting, “This is good for democracy if you assess your opponent and you know that you cannot beat him or her, don’t contest, support your opponent in the true spirit of democracy.
“As we go to polls on Saturday, there should be no form of violence, no fighting, just go there and cast your vote.”
State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Kingsley Esiso, in his remarks, said the party was celebrating ahead of the elections believing that it had gone around the entire state for campaigns.
He said there was only one political party in the state and urged the people to continue to support the party in its quest for the advancement of the state.
Also at the rally, former prominent members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, across the state defected to the ruling PDP and pledged to contribute their quota to the growth of the party and the state.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, a former member of the Delta State House of Assembly, Benjamin Okiemute Essien assured Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of victory in Isoko in subsequent elections, saying; “I am a political bulldozer in Isoko” and pledged to contribute his quota to the growth and development of the state.