David Diai
Former Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly and leading contender for the Delta North Senatorial zone ticket, Rt. Hon Victor Ochei, has harped on the need for free, fair and credible polls in the forthcoming 2015 general elections and urged politicians not to see the election as a do or die affair, but consider the interest of the people as paramount in their desire to seek political office.
Rt. Hon. Ochei made this disclosure in an interactive session with media men in Asaba, shortly after playing host to an observer team from the European Union, who were in Delta State to access the readiness and activities of the political actors and institutions participating in the forthcoming 2015 polls.
The former Delta Assembly Speaker, who is contesting the Delta North Senatorial seat election under the platform of the Accord party, affirmed that the Independent National Electoral Commissioner, INEC, had already provided guidelines for the conduct of credible elections and the onus was now on politicians to ensure that the game was played according to the laid down guidelines, adding that there would no need for rancour if all the actors played according to the rules.
Ochei further expressed his desire for a violence free election, even as he confirmed that he would work towards ensuring a non violence election process in his area, but quickly added that the quest to conduct a violence free poll was the collective responsibility of all participants, enjoining all those involved in the elections to eschew actions and utterances that may likely provoke violence, especially when things were not going their way.
Justifying his decision to contest the Delta North Senatorial seat on the platform of the Accord Party, Ochei said that the principle of adoption had provided the necessary political arrangement for the Accord Party to adopt both President Goodluck Jonathan and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as its Presidential Candidate and Delta State Governorship candidate respectively, for the 2015 elections, adding that the Accord Party had equally resolved to contest all the other elective positions and that resolution had informed his decision to contest the Delta North Senatorial zone ticket against the PDP candidate in the February 2015 election.
He further disclosed that the Delta North Senatorial election would be based mostly on the level of bonding between the candidates and the people as well as the acceptance of the candidates by the people, rather than on political party lines, even as he added that he had already established a cordial relationship with the Anioma and Delta North people not only in his years in the legislature but indeed as Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, and this goodwill, coupled with the vigorous campaign he has embarked on to sensitize the people, will contributed greatly towards ensuring his victory at the polls.
Waxing confident ahead of the February 14, 2014 Delta North Senatorial election, Ochei, who attributed his gallant effort and electoral fortunes during the Delta PDP governorship primaries, which he participated in, to divine providence, noted that he only stepped aside from the PDP to fulfill his political ambition and while urging Deltans to support both President Goodluck Jonathan and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa in their respective elections, assured that he would provide good governance and quality representation to the people of Delta North if elected to become the Senator representing Delta North Senatorial zone in the 2015 elections.
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