By Ovasa Ogaga
On September 2, 1858, during the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates in Clinton, Illinois, Abraham Lincoln said, “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” This sentiment aptly describes the Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) jamboree held at Cenotaph, Asaba, on Wednesday, tagged ‘Grand Finale and Mega Rally.’
At the Mega Rally, the Delta State PDP leadership and the governor were, as usual, boastful about their party’s chances of winning all the Chairmanship and Councilorship seats in the July 13, 2024, Local Government Council elections. Such confidence is unsurprising for an election whose outcome seems predetermined.
One might ignore this spectacle if not for the party leadership and the governor mocking Deltans, who have been disenfranchised through undemocratic means ahead of the so-called local government elections.
Delta Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, the party leader in the state, presumed to be a product of a free, fair, and credible electoral process, mocked Deltans by saying, “It is unfortunate that those who could not win their polling units in an election where they were candidates could allege rigging in an election 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 a roadshow. 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.
Believing that the electoral results will not be pre-determined may seem naïve. As previously stated, the state shouldn’t waste resources—estimated at N6 billion—on a sham election with known winners. To many Deltans, the assurance by the governor of a free, fair and a credible election is a joke taken too far, because it’s not in PDP’s DNA to conduct free and fair elections.
Political observers in Delta State are not swayed by the governor’s assurances that votes will count in the July 13th local government poll. Even though the Delta PDP might win in a free and fair election, they will still resort to rigging because it’s ingrained in their political strategy.
One thing you can’t take away from the PDP in Delta State is their electoral strategy prowess. This is why the party remains a dominant force in Delta State.
Despite the predictability of the local government elections’ results, the PDP mobilized all its resources, campaigning from one unit to another, sweeping through all wards in the 25 local government areas.
The PDP treats every election seriously, even though they are the ruling party and could theoretically manipulate results from the comfort of the State party chairman’s party and direct the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DISEC, to announce the results which are unexpected in local government elections across the country. However, they prefer to campaign, creating an illusion that votes will count in determining councillors and local government Chairmen. It’s a clever strategy that works in their favor.
The party deployed all its resources, with leaders, including the State Deputy Governor, Commissioners, and all appointees of Governor Oborevwori, leading from the front. To be fair to PDP, the major opposition leaders from other political parties are currently not in Delta State. They visit like tourists during elections and disappear afterward, leaving their mansions under lock and key.
The major opposition party, APC, despite significant support from Deltans in the last governorship election, is currently disorganized. It lacks a strong base in parts of Delta North and South, except for the two Isoko local governments. Internal leadership crisis further weakened the party, leaving it unable to pose any threat to the well-organized PDP.
The Delta PDP, like in all previous elections, undertakes strenuous campaigns to cover all grounds and plead for votes, even when they have backup plans. They fight for every vote, using all means necessary, including vote-buying, lobbying, intimidation, and outright rigging. Rigging occurs where the opposition is weak, allowing PDP to dominate Delta State politics for 25 years.
So, what is the PDP trying to prove with its robust ward-to-ward campaign and mega rally ahead of the July 13 local government elections? Are they aiming to attract more voters or create an illusion of a fair victory when the ‘cooked’ results are announced? Your guess is as good as mine. In any case, credit goes to Delta PDP.
Ovasa Ogaga, a journalist and public affairs analyst, writes from Ughelli.
