The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, declared the Bayelsa State Governorship election inconclusive, just as did in the Kogi election recently.
Elections could not take place in Southern Ijaw Local Council of the state, last Saturday, unlike other parts of the state and the exercise was rescheduled for Sunday. In spite of the deployment of soldiers to the area, attempts to conduct the polls on Sunday met an impregnable wall, forcing the INEC, yesterday, to again, cancel the rescheduled exercise in Southern Ijaw over widespread violence, ballot box snatching and hostage taking of electoral officials.
The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Baritor Kpagih, who disclosed this in Yenagoa, said a new date for a fresh poll in the area would be announced in due course.
His words: “You will recall that the Commission conducted governorship election on December 5, 2015. The Commission announced that the polls shall be continued in some local governments including Southern Ijaw Local Government Area on December 6, 2015.
“The results of the elections in all the Local Government Areas except Southern Ijaw have been collated.
“Reports of the election conducted on December 6, 2015 in Southern Ijaw LGA reveals that the election was substantially marred by violence, ballot box snatching, hostage taking of electoral officials including reports from political parties, observers — local and foreign — among others.
“This falls short of internationally accepted standards for credible election. Consequently, the Commission has decided in the interest of the integrity of the commission to cancel the election in Southern Ijaw. A new date for the conduct of the election in Southern Ijaw LGA will be announced in due course.”
Before the cancellation of polls in Southern Ijaw, results from seven of the eight local councils of Bayelsa had been announced. Governor Seriake Dickson, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, who polled 105,748 votes, is leading his closest challenger, Chief Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who got 72,594 votes with 33,154 votes.
According to the INEC updated register for the 2015 election in the state, there are 120,827 registered voters in Southern Ijaw Local Council.Results from five councils – Sagbama, Yenagoa, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Brass and Ekeremor, had been announced on Sunday.
Yesterday, results from Nembe and Ogbia were announced. So far, Dickson won in all the councils apart from Brass, which was cornered by Sylva.
In Nembe, which has 14 Wards, the PDP polled 10,768 votes while the APC had 6,974. The PDM scored 76 votes.Nembe is also the home town of Dickson’s Deputy and runing mate, Gboribiogha John-Jonah, a retired Air Force officer.
According to the Returning Officer, Dr Samuel Ebiye of the Federal University Otuoke, the local council has 66,384 registered votes out of which only 18,799 were accredited.
In Ogbia Local Council, which has 13 wards and where former President Goodluck Jonathan hails from, the ruling PDP emerged tops with 13,051 votes, beating APC (9,106 votes). The PDM got 86 votes.
Announcing the results, the Returning Officer, Dr. Evans Eze of Federal University, Otuoke, said the area has 69, 253 registered voters, of which 24,532 voters were accredited. The number of rejected ballots was 880 and total votes cast, 23,358.
Before the results of the polls in Southern Ijaw were cancelled, the Bayelsa Police Command banned all forms of processions, rallies or demonstrations in the state.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Training and Development and Bayelsa Election, Hashimu Argungu, in a statement said information at the command’s disposal revealed plans by some disgruntled elements to carry out illegal demonstrations, processions and rallies in the state capital.
“This form of conduct will jeopardize the ongoing electoral process. Therefore, the command warns the intending perpetrators to desist from such acts as it will deal decisively with any person or group of persons who wishes to engage in any conduct that will compromise the existing peaceful atmosphere,” he warned.
Argungu urged members of the public to go about their normal businesses, “as the security agencies are poised to guarantee the safety of lives and properties.”
