The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has cancelled the election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area in the Saturday’s Bayelsa State governorship election and consequently declared the election inconclusive.
INEC said the decision was taken because of violence, the abduction of electoral officials and ballot box snatching.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, said going by the reports of substantial violence and irregularities received from officials and observers, “the commission has decided in the interest of the process’ integrity to cancel the governorship election in Southern Ijaw Local Government.”
He said a new date would be announced for the election in the local government, which has 120,827 registered voters and is the largest in the state.
The mainly-riverine Southern Ijaw is the biggest council in the state. It has over 120,000 voting strength, which would decide the eventual winner of the election between Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) Seriake Dickson and the All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) Chief Timipre Sylva.
The governorship election took place on Saturday in Yenagoa, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Sagbama, Brass, Ekeremor, Ogbia and Nembe Councils. The poll in Southern Ijaw council was rescheduled for Sunday also as a result of violence and killings.
In the collated results from the seven local governments as announced by the Returning Officer, the PDP leads with 33,154 votes. The PDP polled 105,748 votes as against APC’s 72,594 votes.
Prior to the cancellation of the election in Southern Ijaw, some PDP women and youths, who wore black dresses and led by the party’s Bayelsa Women Leader Faith Opuene, protested near the collation centre, expressing displeasure over the poll in Southern Ijaw.
Barely 30 minutes after the protest, despite the police ban on demonstrations, some militants from Southern Ijaw escorted two Hilux vans, one of them with Bayelsa Government House registration number: BYGH145, into the collation centre.
The two vehicles were loaded with uncounted ballot materials, without any security escort or INEC official.
The militants, who were singing war songs, as they alighted from the Hilux vans, claimed that they escaped from Southern Ijaw with the results of three units of Amassoma in the council area, in view of the violence, but the electoral materials were not accepted by the INEC officials at the collation centre.
The Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of Training and Development, Hashimu Argungu, told the militants to give peace a chance, assuring them that INEC would address their complaints.
The results are: Brass Local Government PDP 21,755 votes, APC 6,516 votes.
Sagbama PDP: 24, 258, APC 5, 382. Yenagoa, PDP 24,258, APC 14, 563
Kolokuma/Opokuma PDP 7,619 votes, APC 6,896.
Ekeremor PDP 14,602, APC 7,918 votes.
For the results announced yesterday: Ogbia PDP 13,051, APC 9,106 and Nembe PDP 10,768 APC 6,974 votes.
From the seven local government areas, PDP polled 105,748 votes. APC had 72,594 votes, with a difference of 33,154 votes.
The police warned against plans by some people to protest in Yenagoa, the state capital.
A statement by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Hashimu Argungu, banned all forms of procession, rally or demonstration.
The statement was circulated at INEC’s collation centre in Yenagoa, where the results of the governorship election in the state were being announced.
It was gathered that the PDP had already mobilised people to protest against the rescheduled election that was held in Southern Ijaw.
Argungu said the police were informed about plans by some “disgruntled elements” to carry out illegal rallies and demonstrations in the state.
The DIG said: “This form of conduct will jeopardise the ongoing electoral process. Therefore, the command warns all intending perpetrators to desist from such acts, as it will deal decisively with any person or group of persons who wish to engage in any conduct that will compromise the existing peaceful atmosphere.
“Members of the public are advised to go about their normal businesses, as security agencies are poised to guarantee the safety of lives and property.”
Earlier, Dickson was live on the state-owned Radio Bayelsa, protesting the electoral process, at the time he was leading with over 28,000 votes.
Dickson asked residents to hit the streets at 2p.m. for a rally to protest what was happening at the collation centre and he vowed to lead the protest.
The Bayelsa governor, who fielded questions from listeners, said: “There will be a rally to resist what is happening now. It is clear to me that security services have become an army of occupation.”
Security was strengthened in the state capital, with four Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) deployed round the state collation centre.
Detachment of anti-bomb squad, riot policemen and soldiers took over some strategic areas in Yenagoa, to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
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