Delta Governorship Re-run: INEC Opts For Old Voters Register

San Francisco, Nov 15, (THEWILL) - The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will deploy the old voters register for the conduct of the Delta State governorship re-run election, THEWILL can authoritatively report.

A senior INEC official in a conference call with the Bay Area, California office of THEWILL said the commission’s new Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines will not be deployed for the polls because of the timeline the commission was given by the Court of Appeal to redo the election.

THE DCC machines are expected to be delivered to the commission sometime around the third week of December.

The source also said the commission intends to hold the Delta re-run in January, 2011 but added that it is being pressured by stakeholders in Delta to schedule the election for a date in December.

Last week, a Court of Appeal annulled the 2007 election of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan following an appeal by the Democratic Peoples party (DPP) governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru.

Only the political parties and candidates that participated in the April 14, 2007 governorship election will be allowed to field candidates, the source added.

Amongst the numerous parties and candidates that participated in that election, analysts are of the opinion that Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (PDP) and Chief Great Ogboru (DPA) are the two strongest contestants for the Delta State number one seat.

The election will be the first for new INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega.