By Edafe Godwin
Following the conduct of an election by Omavovwe Community in Ughelli North LGA, Delta State to elect new executive members to pilot the affairs of the community for the next four years which was tactically cancelled by the Electoral Committee Chairman, Mr. Dickson Agbalagba, the people of the community have said that Mr. Awarivwogho Roland is their new President General (PG), irrespective of what transpired.
The people of the community stated this in a chat with Bailout Magazine which visited the community. On why the community chose Mr Awarivwogho Roland as the New President General, one of the indigenes of the community ,Mrs. Gloria Ephivweotor who spoke on behalf of other women, hinted that, the tenure of this administration will expire on the 27th, December, 2023 saying, before then, a new executive have to be in place through the process of election which, according to her, was scheduled to hold on the 10th of August, 2023 so as to put a new executive in place awaiting their swearing in on 27th of December 2023 respectively.
She said, It was on that ground that Mr. Awarivwogho Roland, Mr. Lucky Epete and Mr. Super lchalomi came out to vie for the position of the President General (PG). According to her, apart from Mr. Roland being most popular candidate among the contestants, he would do excellently well because he has been generous to the people of the community in terms of mini-empowerment of the youths, adding that, he has been helping the less- privileged in many areas. She said, with his coming in, he would bring about policies and programmes that would help to cushion the effect of harsh economy being experienced in the country at present as this would help to add value to the lives of the people.
Speaking further, Mrs Ephivweotor said, when they(contestants) came out after the all screening processes have been perfected with the supervision of the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Mr. Dickson Agbalagba, the contestants were asked to stand up, which they did. This was in accordance with the custom and tradition of electing a new Exco of the community. Based on the fact that the community operates an open ballot system as laid down procedure , the voters were asked to queue behind their preferred candidate saying, this was under the watchful eyes of the Chairman of Electoral Committee who was presiding along with the Eldest man of the community, Pa. Otudje Macaulay.
Mrs. Gloria Ephivweotor said, the people that queued behind Awarivwogho Roland were over 200 people which three times outnumbered other of his opponents, adding that, when they saw the queue of Roland intimidating, the Electoral Committee Chairman allegedly formulated another screening tactics.
Mrs. Ephivweotor quoted the Chairman of the Electoral Committee to have said, the minimum age to vote was 18 years and above(which was not earlier made as the process of the screening). This ploy, according to her, was to ensure that Mr. Roland did not win the election.
According to her, all their plans, after the purported screening, apart from the first one which all of them have accredited, they unlawfully disqualified some people who were to vote for Roland, but after this, the queue of Roland was still much intimidating.
Mrs. Ephivweotor also posited that, when Mr. Dickson saw what was going to happen that, Roland would win the election, he said, according to the power vested on him, he declared the election cancelled. The people now resolved that there was no need for violence( fighting) irrespective of the dubious way they have done in screening out the people who were to vote for Roland.
According to Mrs. Ephivweotor, the Eldest man of the community Pa. Otudje who was also at the election however, said, for peace to reign in Omavovwe Community with what Mr. Dickson has done by canceling the election without any cogent reason, he has no choice but to make Mr. Roland President General of Omavovwe Community hence he( Pa. Otudje) raised his (Roland) hand up which is also one way of making someone to emerge as PG of Omavovwe Community.
However, when Pa. Otudje Macaulay was contacted for comments, he hinted that the community have made Mr. Roland the PG, because all of them were at the election ground saying that , they saw no reason Dickson Agbalagba should cancel the election.
His words:”Postponing of an election when a date has been fixed is not our tradition in this community; everywhere is peaceful. And for the interest of peace of everybody in this community, we have made Mr. Roland our new President General awaiting his swearing in on 27th December 2023. Their plan will not work, l am the Eldest man of this community and l have declared Mr. Roland, the PG, we are for peace and we are peace loving people”.
Speaking in the same vein on behalf of the youths of the community are Mr. Esharinana Ochukko and Melody A. The duo said, Mr. Awarivwogho Roland is the new PG, and all of them( youths of the community) have agreed to what the community have said. However, when Bailout Magazine contacted the Electoral Committee Chairman, Mr. Dickson Agbalagba on phone, he said he has cancelled the election because some persons who voted were said to be under age just as he said, there was some pockets of violence.
His words:” l canceled the election on the grand that, some persons are under the age of voting in the community participated. Again, some violence was noticed”. According to the people of community, the allegations of the Chairman as regards under aged voting and violence were not true. Efforts to reach the other contestants ,Hon. Lucky Epete and Mr. Super Ichalomi were not successful at the time of filling in this report.