Ben Dunno, Warri
Residents of various communities in Delta South and Central Senatorial districts of the state have commended the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) and the operatives of the state Police Command ably led by the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, for the peaceful conduct of Council elections held today across the 25 Local Government areas of the state.
Mostly excited over the violence free electoral process were electorates of flashpoints areas such as Uvwie, Udu, Ughelli North and Warri South who had anticipated a breakdown of law and order considering the historical antecedents of these areas based on the fact that they are usually being controlled by the opposition.
A resident of Effurun in Uvwie Local Government area, Chief James Ejaita, described the Council polls as the most peaceful in the history Council elections ever to be conducted in the area, noting that it was the first time residents would not experience any form of violence all through the duration of the exercise.
He commended the officials of DSIEC for the way and manner in which the elections was conducted and was full of praises to the police team ably led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, DCP Aina Adesola, who was deployed by his boss, CP Abaniwonda, to cover both the Delta and South Senatorial districts.
Speaking with newsmen at about 3;20am in Uvwie Council Secretariat shortly before the commencement of results collation, DCP Adesola, attributed the success recorded in the peaceful conduct to the zero violence tolerance mandate handed over to them by their boss, CP Abaniwonda, across the state during the exercise.
While disclosing that he started his election monitoring from Effurun in Uvwie Local Government this morning considering its high risk to violence, DCP Adesola noted that from there he had visited Eburumede, Ovwian-Aladja, Agbarho, Orerokpe, Abraka, Jesse, Mosogar and Isoko areas.
According to him; “Having visited all these places to ensure that all that needed to be in place were in place, I had to return to Warri, in order to monitor what’s happening in Warri South, Ogidegben, Ogbe-Ijoh and had to return again to Uvwie to witness the Collation of results and ensure it was announced after authentication by the electoral body”.
“I want to behalf of my boss, CP Abaniwonda, commend the residents of these areas for the maturity they have displayed before, during and after the elections. Also, our sister agencies, like; Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Services (DSS) for their support all through the duration of the elections “.
“Let me also applaud the various units of the Police force that worked under me during this elections, mostly the Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), various Unit Commanders for a job well done all through the period of the elections, DCP Adesola concluded.