Ahead of the new election dates, scheduled to hold on the 28th of March, the police in Issele-Uku, Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, made an election related arrest after they apprehended a bus loaded with ballot boxes.
According to Vanguard, the boxes amounting to about 30 were dropped by a luxury bus headed East from the North at Onicha-Ugbo Junction. A source said the bus zoomed off before the people in the area could draw the attention of security officials the source however revealed that a smaller bus with number plate Edo USL 832 XL, came to pick up the boxes but was ambushed by the police.
According to the source, the boxes had the picture of one of the major political parties in the country and his running mate on them. Vanguard also reported that efforts to contact the Head of the Divisional Police in the area proved abortive.
The arrest was however confirmed by a senior police officer attached to the division, he also added that the task of the officials now was to determine the source of the boxes. Noting that the boxes were similar to the ones used in the days of Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO, he said the driver confessed that they were being used to raise funds for the said presidential candidate at the grassroots.
Vangaurd reports that The police source said the ballot boxes were sent through a waybill from the Kano central office of the party. The driver and the bus loaded with the ballot boxes were still being detained at the police station at press time.
Investigations also revealed that the state secretary of the party (names withheld) whose candidate was on the ballot box, he said "I am not aware of anything like that. If at all it is true, it must be the handwork of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, because there is nothing they cannot do. PDP can stage-manage anything." The state Publicity Secretary, for the PDP Mr. Deinghan Ray-Macaulay, was also contacted, he denied the claims by the first party and said: "PDP could not involve itself in anything like that when we are sure of victory at the elections, particularly in Delta State.
"We are getting upper hand so we cannot do a thing like that. It is only those who are not sure of victory that can do such a thing and stir up trouble. I strongly appeal to the police to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter."
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