Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, was yesterday declared winner of the rerun election. He polled 275,253 to emerge victorious.
His victory came three months after the Court of Appeal cancelled the 2007 governorship election which Uduaghan won and was sworn into office.

Uduaghan defeated his Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) rival, Chief Great Ogboru, Republican Party of Nigeria (RPN) candidate, Chief Ovie Omo-Agege and 12 others in the election. Ogboru polled 138,244, while Omo-Agege got 7,481votes from total valid votes of 433,312 in the election.
Immediately, the election that produced Uduaghan was nullified, the political space of the state suddenly became charged.
Declaring Uduaghan winner yesterday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Ogbudu Gabriel Ada, said he met the stipulated requirement. He also said that the commission did a good job in the conduct of the election.

The REC said that INEC would investigate and prosecute the bombing of INEC office in Ughelli. He said: “We went to the area and we felt bad about what happened, but we have no option than to work according to the dictate of the law of the land.”
Ada said the INEC would improve on its mistakes in subsequent elections, while encouraging those who are not satisfied with the result to seek alternative means to seek redress rather than resorting to violence.

Reacting to the declaration of Uduaghan as winner, DPP supporters had besieged the INEC headquarters in Asaba, Delta State to protest alleged irregularities and security lapses that heralded the re-run election.
The protesters alleged that despite the fact that DPP agents reported incidences of violence and ballot snatching as well as ballot stuffing to INEC, it still went ahead to admit the results from volatile areas.
Following the protest, hundreds of policemen, including men of the anti-bomb squad, anti-terrorist squad (ATS) and Joint Task Force (JTF) were called in.

Also reacting to the result, Ogboru, whose case at the elections petition tribunal prompted the rerun poll, protest cried foul over what he described as “sharp practices.”
He said that the results collated by the INEC were doctored and fraudulent.
He said: “The results were concocted. Election did not take place in the three Warri Local Government Areas, including Ethiope West. The shooting and violence in Warri South-West, where officials who were supposed to accompany the materials to the riverine areas were chased away by thugs was reported to the commission and the security.”

He said that thugs hijacked the materials in Koko axis, Warri South, where Uduaghan hails from, Warri North, Warri South-West, and riverine areas, like Bomadi, Burutu and Patani, adding that they displayed “open brigandage” in the process.
He accused security agents of doing nothing to stop the thugs, “This is an election where police find civilians carrying guns and they watch without intervention, to give room for massive rigging.”

Ogboru expressed surprise that riverine communities that were recently sacked by militant/military activities recorded the highest votes in the election.
“Our position is this; we reject the result compiled and collated by INEC. The valid votes cast in the election (re-run) are in favour of the DPP. PDP has colluded with INEC and brought in invalid votes to upturn the authentic results of the election. We call for the investigations into the abracadabra that characterized its compilation and collation.”
He demanded that forensic experts be brought in to analyse the results and pass verdict on them, saying: “The winner should not be pronounced until the forensic result is out.”

Also reacting, Omo-Agege, in a signed statement yesterday, commended all voters and Delta people, who voted. He said that this demonstrated their hunger for a free and fair election and to elect a governor of their choice.
He said: “Victory did not come our way, but my party, the Republican Party of Nigeria and I wish to thank my numerous supporters who encouraged us with their presence during our campaigns throughout the state. In magnanimity I concede defeat, I wonder, as I know you wonder, whether the results reflect the quantum of support, which you gave to us. Does the result of this election reflect the choices you made at the polls?
“A number of things went wrong. The security situation did not discourage armed gangs from snatching election materials in the presence of police and helpless youth corps members, who were either too frightened or compromised to complain. Unused ballot papers were brazenly sold or misallocated to PDP agent with connivance of the police and security operatives.

“This election has shown that Prof. Attahiru Jega, that good tree attested to by everybody as reliable certainly did not make the desired electoral forest to meet the desire of Deltans who craved for a change and a chance to change their oppressive government. It is up to us the political leaders who are not in government to work out a meaningful strategy to give expression to the desire of our people to make the change. We must give leadership and make sure that the atmosphere of voting is made safer and the votes recorded must reflect the will of the people.”
Speaking on his victory, in an interview on the African Independent Television (AIT) last night, he said he felt “cool, excited and happy and grateful to God because he has made it possible and because it has been a tortuous journey.”

He said he wouldn’t question Ogboru’s reason for not accepting the result, but that he should do it in a lawful manner and not to incite people.
Uduaghan said Ogboru’s supporters were not disenfranchised in Warri North as he voted there.
On lessons learnt, he said: “I now know people better. Story of tortoise noted that it is when something happens to you that you know your friends. I feel more accepted now because people felt bad about my first election.”

Uduaghan said he is not thinking about April elections “because I was concentrating on this one. There were many police around, yet there were problems at some polling stations. In certain areas, thugs came and chased away those ready to vote, snatched ballot boxes, in a particular ward people did not vote. I will advise INEC and security agencies to work out proper security measure in future.”
On his feelings on the elections, he said: “Process commendable; lessons learnt here will make April polls better. One thing I noted was that many people did not know much about accreditation before election, so they came in late and discovered they couldn’t vote. So there is need for more voters’ education.
“I thank Deltans for coming out to vote; there was greater awareness. I also want to say there is no victor and no vanquished. Delta belongs to all of us. Yes people had frail nerves but we should put our personal differences aside, think of the state and think how we can make our state better.”

“His latest effort at tampering with PDP list should be of concern to any well meaning stakeholder of the party and Nigerians in general,” the campaign group added.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/jan/08/national-08-01-2011-001.htm

ASANIGBO:

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, was yesterday declared winner of the rerun election. He polled 275,253 to emerge victorious.
His victory came three months after the Court of Appeal cancelled the 2007 governorship election which Uduaghan won and was sworn into office.

Uduaghan defeated his Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) rival, Chief Great Ogboru, Republican Party of Nigeria (RPN) candidate, Chief Ovie Omo-Agege and 12 others in the election. Ogboru polled 138,244, while Omo-Agege got 7,481votes from total valid votes of 433,312 in the election.
Immediately, the election that produced Uduaghan was nullified, the political space of the state suddenly became charged.
Declaring Uduaghan winner yesterday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Ogbudu Gabriel Ada, said he met the stipulated requirement. He also said that the commission did a good job in the conduct of the election.

The REC said that INEC would investigate and prosecute the bombing of INEC office in Ughelli. He said: “We went to the area and we felt bad about what happened, but we have no option than to work according to the dictate of the law of the land.”
Ada said the INEC would improve on its mistakes in subsequent elections, while encouraging those who are not satisfied with the result to seek alternative means to seek redress rather than resorting to violence.

Reacting to the declaration of Uduaghan as winner, DPP supporters had besieged the INEC headquarters in Asaba, Delta State to protest alleged irregularities and security lapses that heralded the re-run election.
The protesters alleged that despite the fact that DPP agents reported incidences of violence and ballot snatching as well as ballot stuffing to INEC, it still went ahead to admit the results from volatile areas.
Following the protest, hundreds of policemen, including men of the anti-bomb squad, anti-terrorist squad (ATS) and Joint Task Force (JTF) were called in.

Also reacting to the result, Ogboru, whose case at the elections petition tribunal prompted the rerun poll, protest cried foul over what he described as “sharp practices.”
He said that the results collated by the INEC were doctored and fraudulent.
He said: “The results were concocted. Election did not take place in the three Warri Local Government Areas, including Ethiope West. The shooting and violence in Warri South-West, where officials who were supposed to accompany the materials to the riverine areas were chased away by thugs was reported to the commission and the security.”

He said that thugs hijacked the materials in Koko axis, Warri South, where Uduaghan hails from, Warri North, Warri South-West, and riverine areas, like Bomadi, Burutu and Patani, adding that they displayed “open brigandage” in the process.
He accused security agents of doing nothing to stop the thugs, “This is an election where police find civilians carrying guns and they watch without intervention, to give room for massive rigging.”

Ogboru expressed surprise that riverine communities that were recently sacked by militant/military activities recorded the highest votes in the election.
“Our position is this; we reject the result compiled and collated by INEC. The valid votes cast in the election (re-run) are in favour of the DPP. PDP has colluded with INEC and brought in invalid votes to upturn the authentic results of the election. We call for the investigations into the abracadabra that characterized its compilation and collation.”
He demanded that forensic experts be brought in to analyse the results and pass verdict on them, saying: “The winner should not be pronounced until the forensic result is out.”

Also reacting, Omo-Agege, in a signed statement yesterday, commended all voters and Delta people, who voted. He said that this demonstrated their hunger for a free and fair election and to elect a governor of their choice.
He said: “Victory did not come our way, but my party, the Republican Party of Nigeria and I wish to thank my numerous supporters who encouraged us with their presence during our campaigns throughout the state. In magnanimity I concede defeat, I wonder, as I know you wonder, whether the results reflect the quantum of support, which you gave to us. Does the result of this election reflect the choices you made at the polls?
“A number of things went wrong. The security situation did not discourage armed gangs from snatching election materials in the presence of police and helpless youth corps members, who were either too frightened or compromised to complain. Unused ballot papers were brazenly sold or misallocated to PDP agent with connivance of the police and security operatives.

“This election has shown that Prof. Attahiru Jega, that good tree attested to by everybody as reliable certainly did not make the desired electoral forest to meet the desire of Deltans who craved for a change and a chance to change their oppressive government. It is up to us the political leaders who are not in government to work out a meaningful strategy to give expression to the desire of our people to make the change. We must give leadership and make sure that the atmosphere of voting is made safer and the votes recorded must reflect the will of the people.”
Speaking on his victory, in an interview on the African Independent Television (AIT) last night, he said he felt “cool, excited and happy and grateful to God because he has made it possible and because it has been a tortuous journey.”

He said he wouldn’t question Ogboru’s reason for not accepting the result, but that he should do it in a lawful manner and not to incite people.
Uduaghan said Ogboru’s supporters were not disenfranchised in Warri North as he voted there.
On lessons learnt, he said: “I now know people better. Story of tortoise noted that it is when something happens to you that you know your friends. I feel more accepted now because people felt bad about my first election.”

were many police around, yet theUduaghan said he is not thinking about April elections “because I was concentrating on this one. There re were problems at some polling stations. In certain areas, thugs came and chased away those ready to vote, snatched ballot boxes, in a particular ward people did not vote. I will advise INEC and security agencies to work out proper security measure in future.”
On his feelings on the elections, he said: “Process commendable; lessons learnt here will make April polls better. One thing I noted was that many people did not know much about accreditation before election, so they came in late and discovered they couldn’t vote. So there is need for more voters’ education.
“I thank Deltans for coming out to vote; there was greater awareness. I also want to say there is no victor and no vanquished. Delta belongs to all of us. Yes people had frail nerves but we should put our personal differences aside, think of the state and think how we can make our state better.”

“His latest effort at tampering with PDP list should be of concern to any well meaning stakeholder of the party and Nigerians in general,” the campaign group added.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/jan/08/national-08-01-2011-001.htm

[b][/b]

there were all these problems and he is still calling himself the winner.