Returning officer allegedly disappears from collation center during LG polls

A mild drama reportedly ensued during collation of results in the ongoing local government elections at Tuomo Ward 5 in Burutu local government area of Delta State, as the returning officer for the ward, Mr Duke Tamaraukuro Daniel, purportedly absconded from the scene.

Though, nobody could explain what prompted his disappearance at press time, the councillorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Caulmah Ebikonbowei David, who spoke to reporters at Ogbobagbene, venue of the exercise, on Sunday, alleged that the returning officer fled the scene through the influence of some People’s Democratic Party, PDP, chieftains.

He also alleged that the dramatic twist of events was sequel to the APC’s leading margin over the PDP, the ruling party in the state.

Narrating the scenario, Mr David said: “Yesterday, being July 13, we all went to Burutu town, the local government headquarters, to secure our voting materials to the ward. The Electoral Officer assigned the materials to Tuomo Ward 5 through the Supervision Presiding Officer, SPO, Mr Tornado Abraham Benafa, and we conveyed them safely to the ward.

“The election was duly conducted by the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC and it was free, fair, peaceful and transparent.

“After the voting exercise, collation began, being presided over by the ward returning officer, Mr Duke Tamaraukuro Daniel. The APC was apparently leading in the councillorship results, polling 3, 321 while the PDP was polling less than a thousand votes during the process.

“Suddenly, there was a dramatic turn of events as the returning officer absconded from the centre through the influence of some PDP chieftains while the process was ongoing. The SPO was still there while this drama was ongoing and until this moment, he has not returned leaving the materials here. There was peace everywhere and his action was purely orchestrated.

“I’m using this medium to call on the APC at the national to intervene and compel the returning officer to return and finish his job. He should come back and declare the results because the APC is apparently winning the councillorship election”.

However, efforts made to speak with the returning officer, Mr Daniel, were fruitless as his mobile number restricted incoming calls at the time of filing this report.