The Delta State government says it is ready to conduct credible, free and fair local government elections in the state.
The state Commisioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, on Tuesday re-echoed government’s readiness to deepen democracy at the grassroots with the conduct of a credible election across the state.
Aniagwu, who spoke with newsmen ahead of the state’s 29th anniversary, stressed that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was a product of democracy, who believed in consensus leadership.
‘’We are not scared of what the outcome of local government elections will be because we are convinced that for each local government area, those contesting will have something to point to on what our party has done.
‘’That being the case, the governor believes that he is a product of democracy and so others who should lead should also be products of democracy and emanate from the people, rather than imposing it on them.
‘’Even while campaigning for elections in 2015, Governor Okowa touched base with all the wards in the state just like Governor Obaseki is doing in Edo State today.
“What that means is that it allows us to meet the people where they are and not just concentrating at the local government headquarters that are usually urban,” Aniagwu said.
The commissioner further said that he believes that democracy should be to galvanize all the energies that they have as a people for development.
“If that is the case, then it means that every hand is needed to be on deck.
“To get every hand to be on deck, you need to let the people participate. Ours is not just democracy but participatory democracy.
‘’This has been the philosophy of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa,” he said.
