TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE HON. RESIDENT ELECTORAL COMMSSIONER, INEC, DELTA STATE, ALHAJI ISMAILA ABDULKAREEM, mnim, fcai, fcida, THE DAN-BURAM OF LOKOJA, ON MONDAY, 16TH APRIL, 2007 IN RESPECT OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY AND GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS HELD ON SATURDAY, 14TH APRIL, 2007.

Protocols

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, to this occasion of my presentation of the account of the outcome of the State House of Assembly and Governorship elections held in Delta State on Saturday, 14th April, 2007.

As a build up to the attainment of a free, fair, credible and transparent 2007 polls, the Commission carried out a successful electronic voters registration / revalidation. That exercise which gave birth to the production of a credible voters register, was an integral part of the reform initiatives of the present INEC leadership, for the conduct of credible elections.

Prior to the April 14, 2007 polls, Delta State recorded an impressive One million, six hundred and twenty-nine thousand, eight hundred and seventy five (1,629,875) eligible voters. This accounted for the large voter turn-out during last Saturday’s April 14 elections.

In the just concluded elections, thirteen (13) political parties contested the Governorship while one hundred and twenty-two (122) candidates vied for the House of Assembly. At the end of the exercise, the following results emerged:-

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

S/N NAME OF STATE CONSTITUENCY WINNING POLITICAL PARTY

1 Aniocha North State Constituency PDP

2 Aniocha South State Constituency ACCORD

3 Bomadi State Constituency PDP

4 Burutu State Constituency I PDP

5 Burutu State Constituency II PDP

6 Ethiope East State Constituency (No election)

7 Ethiope West State Constituency PDP

8 Ika North-East State Constituency PDP

9 Ika South State Constituency PDP

10 Isoko North State Constituency I PDP

11 Isoko South State Constituency I PDP

12 Isoko South State Constituency II PDP

13 Ndokwa East State Constituency PDP

14 Ndokwa West State Constituency PDP

15 Okpe State Constituency PDP

16 Oshimili North State Constituency ACCORD

17 Oshimili South State Constituency PDP

18 Patani State Constituency PDP

19 Sapele State Constituency PDP

20 Udu State Constituency AC

21 Ughelli North State Constituency I (No Election)

22 Ughelli North State Constituency II (No Election)

23 Ughelli South State Constituency PDP

24 Ukwuani State Constituency (No Election)

25 Uvwie State Constituency PDP

26 Warri North State Constituency PDP

27 Warri South State Constituency I PDP

28 Warri South State Constituency II PDP

29 Warri South-West State Constituency PDP

STATE CONSTITUENCIES WHERE ELECTION DID NOT HOLD

S/N NAME OF STATE CONSTITUENCY REASON

1 Ethiope East State Constituency Caused by heavily indicting security reports.

2 Ukwauni State Constituency As a result of burning down of INEC office and electoral materials before the commencement of the poll.

3 Ughelli North State Constituencies I & II Massive electoral violence and burning of INEC office before the commencement of poll.

I wish to reiterate that the decision taken against above-mentioned State Constituencies subsists until further notice. The action is in conformity with INEC’s zero percent tolerance to electoral violence.

GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION

The results of the Governorship election are as follows:-

S/N NAME OF CANDIDATE PARTY VOTES

1 FELIX AZORBO RPN 944

2 GREAT OVEDJE OGBORU DPP 46,869

3 OKEYA O. EDWIN NMDP 396

4 IGBINI O. EMMANUEL PRP 268

5 TAJU S. ISICHEI PPA 3,677

6 MICHAEL ARISTOTLE ANPP 6,304

7 DR. EMMANUEL EWETA UDUAGHAN PDP 1,004,403

8 CHIEF ONOKPITE OGBE CPP 712

9 ABEL O. EDIJALA LP 3,409

10 JOHNSON O.A. BOGHUKU MRDD 272

11 CHIEF NGOZI OGBOGO ADC 1,857

12 PETER OGHENEVWOGAGA A 3,020

13 DR. EMAMNUEL O. MAFINA DPA 1,489

14 – AC 3,230

15 – AD 41

16 – JP 471

17 – MRDP 139

18 – APP 70

19 – APGA 1

20 – BNDP 9

21 – AA 3

22 – ACD 1

23 – ND 1

Invalid votes: 4,155

Total Votes Cast: 1,071,805

From the above results, I Alhaji Ismaila Abdulkareem, Hon. Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC, Delta State, by the powers conferred on me by Section 28(2)(g) of the Electoral Act, 2006, hereby declare DR. EMMANUEL EWETA UDUAGHAN of the PDP as the Governor-Elect of Delta State, having scored the highest number of votes (1,004,403) in the Governorship election, as well as having satisfied the provisions of Section 179(2)(a) & (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Let me seize this opportunity to thank the political parties, the Delta State electorate, the Security Agencies, the Domestic Observers and Gentlemen of the Press for their invaluable contribution to the success of the April 16, 2007 elections. I solicit that the same patriotic spirit demonstrated by you all be extended to the April 21st Presidential and National Assembly elections this week.

Thank you and God bless.

Independent National Electoral Commission,

Delta State Office,

Asaba.

16th April, 2007.