WARRI- SUSPECTED political thugs yesterday morning hijacked some of the materials meant for the local government election in Warri South local government area from an electoral officer of the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC).
The electoral officer who confirmed the incident to Saturday Vanguard said the thugs did not succeed in stealing the ballot papers but they went away with the list of various voting units for the election in Warri South local government.
It was gathered that the election in Warri which was to have held December 2 could not hold because of the confusion in DSIEC where the electoral officer designated for Warri was drafted to Ughelli. It was learnt that the electoral officer was at Ughelli when a phone call came to him as to why he was not in Warri.
The voting materials were reportedly kept in the custody of the police at Warri but the electoral officer was waylaid by some thugs on his way to the DSIEC office. But for his struggle, they would have snatched the entire materials from him.
Saturday Vanguard learnt that the chairman of DSIEC, Justice James Omo-Agege was immediately contacted and some improvisation was made yesterday.
This reporter saw the electoral officer hand over materials for voting to some presiding officers for the election but up till 4.00 pm yesterday when this report was filed, there was no place voters were seen voting in Warri.
DSIEC officials could not even provide an official list of the voting units as, according to one of them, "we told you before that it’s among the items stolen from the electoral officer".
Agents of the one of the political parties who felt they were being cheated yesterday attempted to force their way into the DSIEC office to monitor the issuance of ballot papers by the electoral officer but they were chased away by soldiers who shot into the air and fired teargas at them.
The situation was tense as at about 12.00 pm as the military men cordoned off the DSIEC office along Warri-Sapele road , forcing motorists to take alternative routes.
Residents in Warri were not interested in the election and did not show up. The battle was between some two political camps in the state out to authority. One has the imprimatur of the certain forces in the state while the other has the trappings of Abuja.
As at 4.30 pm, a source at the Commission said "we are waiting for results from the field" but reminded by Vanguard that we did not see anywhere voting was taking place, he simple said that "our men are in the field, stop disturbing me please".
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