Since Saturday March 6th 2021, Umutu Community has been embroid in protest by the women and youths following the refusal of DSIEC and the powers that be to declare the candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Comrade Eugene Enudi, winner of the Councillorship election.
Speaking to The Story, on Wednesday 10th March 2021, Eugene said: “What really happened that very day, was that there was a peacefully conducted election by DSIEC Ad-hoc Committee.
“We have four units in Ward 17 Umutu and I contested with PDP and I am from NNPP. After the election, I emerged as the winner, Ward 17. So, all of a sudden before the election results were fully counted, the returning officer disappeared.
“I was told that one of the core PDP leaders from Obiaruku, called Ken Okolugbo, came to carry the Returning Officer from the polling station. So, ever since then, we have been waiting for them to announce the results that I emerged winner in the election.
“What I am now hearing from diverse angle is that they will not declare me the winner and I don’t really know why they are not declaring me as the winner. Every videos are there to show that I am the winner and people celebrated me that very day.
“I am only waiting for the returning officer to come out and announce it peacefully but up till date he has not appeared. Umutu supported me massively and I won with a large margin. We have three Wards in Umutu, we have Ward 1A DSIEC, Ward 1B DSIEC and Ward 1C DSIEC. That is Ward 17, newly created DSIEC Ward. In my Ward, we have four Units 6, 7, 8 and Unit 9.
“As a winner, I only want them to announce me publicly for everybody, home and in Diaspora to know that I am the winner who emerged”, threatening that there would be renewed protest if he was not declared winner of the election.
Hear him: “All I want is that they should please declare me the candidate who emerged winner because in my community right now so many protest have been carried out since Saturday till yesterday that Hon. Alphonsus Ojo, former House of Assembly member who represented Ukwuani State Constituency came to apologize to the women, youths and the entire Umutu.
“He said that they should stop the protest that government will look into it and that they are giving us from now till Friday. So, if they did not declare me winner according to my Community, more protest would be carried out”, he warned.
“They sent assassins after me, so I am on the run. Some PDP politicians from Obiaruku, sent assassins to come and assassinate me so that everything will end and at the end they will declare the PDP Candidate as the winner. This has been happening since the day of the election”, he alleged.
Also speaking, the Youth President of Umutu Community, Comrade Uduogwu James, hinted: “What really happened is that we have three Councillors and three Wards in Umutu Community, we lost our Ward totally to NNPP young man Enudi Eugene.
“But the protest in our Community today is that our party, the PDP refused to declare who is the winner which is NNPP, the thing is causing uproar in our Community which attracted the attention of the state government before the intervention of Hon. Ojo through the state governor who came yesterday to sensitize the youths that they should keep calm.
“That the result will be sent to Asaba, the council and that the state government will look into the matter from now before weekend and to declare the winner and that every road blocks in Umutu Community should be removed. Through Ojo and the government intervention, we have been able to do the needful and we are waiting for the Delta state government reply by weekend”.
It was gathered that Indigenes of Umutu took over the federal road, brought cooking utensils and other items where they blocked the road for three days over the denial of Eugene who through his party NNPP pulled 89 while PDP scored 64 in Unit 9. In Unit 8, NNPP muscled 69, while PDP got 53. In Unit 6, PDP scored 67 while Eugene of NNPP pulled 108 and in Unit 7, Eugene got a total score of 103 through his NNPP while PDP got 80 votes.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO), of DSIEC, Mr. Arubi Orogboh and the Publicity Secretary of PDP refused to answer their calls when contacted.
It would be recall that DSIEC, had allegedly denied a Councillorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Uwandulu Samson victory after he pulled the highest votes in the election against the candidate of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Issele-Azagba, Ward 6, Aniocha north local government area of the state.
