Amidst
increased tension in some parts of Bayelsa State, the Independent
National Electoral Commission on Monday cancelled the governorship
election in the volatile Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the
state.
INEC subsequently declared the governorship poll inconclusive.
The
cancellation of the election in the area came barely three hours after a
group, believed to be the supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party,
protested outside the premises of the collation centre in Yenagoa.
It was gathered that the group was aggrieved over an alleged attempt to rig the governorship election in Southern Ijaw LGA.
The state
Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Baritor Kpagih, who announced the
cancellation of the election in the area, told newsmen and observers,
who had waited for hours at the collation centre, that a date for a
fresh election in the council would soon be announced.
Southern Ijaw Local Government Area has 120,827 registered voters, the highest in the eight council areas of the state.
Kpagih
said there were reports that the poll in the area was “substantially”
marred by violence, ballot box snatching and hostage taking of electoral
officers.
The state
REC’s pronouncement came immediately after the state Returning Officer,
Prof. Kpazia Akpagu, told newsmen and election observers that he would
not be able to take a final decision on the exercise until the result of
the Southern Ijaw election was received.
“We have
yet to receive results from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. They
(Southern Ijaw LGA) have 120,827 registered voters. As a result of this,
I, as the Returning Officer, cannot return on this election until the
results of this local government (Southern Ijaw) are received,” he said.
The REC
stated that he was, on behalf of INEC, cancelling the election in order
to protect the integrity of the election process.
Akpagu
added, “You will recall that the Independent National Electoral
Commission conducted governorship election in Bayelsa State on the
December 5, 2015. The commission announced that the poll should be
discontinued in some local government areas, including Southern Ijaw LGA
of the state.
“As of
today, December 7, 2015, the results of the election in all local
government areas, except Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, have been
collated.
“Reports
on the election conducted in Southern Ijaw LGA on December 6, 2015,
revealed that the election was substantially marred by violence, ballot
snatching and hostage taking of electoral officers.
“These
include reports from political parties, observers, both local and
foreign, among others. These fall short of international acceptable
standard for credible elections.
“Consequently,
the commission has decided, in the interest of the integrity of the
process, to cancel the governorship election in Southern Ijaw LGA. A new
date for Southern Ijaw governorship election will be announced in due
course.”
Before the
announcement, the state REC and some top security officers had held
what was tagged ‘a security meeting’ at the INEC office in the state
capital over the situation in Southern Ijaw.
INEC had
earlier announced the results of the election in Nembe and Ogbia LG
areas, leaving the PDP candidate, Seriake Dickson, with 105,748 votes
while his closest rival, Timipre Sylva, got a total of 72,594 votes.
But the
results from seven local government areas which were declared, were not
enough to declare the incumbent governor the winner of the election due
to the cancellation of the election in Southern Ijaw, which has 120,827
registered voters.
Before the
announcement of the cancellation of the result of the election in
Southern Ijaw, there was an increased tension in some parts of Bayelsa,
especially in Southern Ijaw, where militant groups reportedly clashed
over snatched ballot boxes.
Some of
the ‘snatched ballot boxes’ were brought to INEC office and the
collation centres by suspected militants, who claimed they were able to
stop security operatives from tampering with them.
The
tension in the area had forced the Deputy Inspector General of Police,
Department of Training and Development, Hashimu Argungu, to announce the
immediate ban on all forms of procession, rallies or demonstration in
the state.
In an
interview with newsmen outside the collation centre, Argungu said that
Nigeria remained bigger than any individuals, no matter how highly
placed.
He stated that contrary to reports, no person was killed during the election in Bayelsa State.
Meanwhile, Sylva has rejected the cancellation of the election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.
At a news
conference on Monday in Yenagoa, the former governor said the INEC
decided to cancel the poll because he won by a large margin that made
him the winner of the election.
While
accusing INEC of bias, Sylva said if the commission must cancel the
election in Southern Ijaw, where he claimed that he won roundly on
flimsy excuses, the commission must also cancel the poll in Ekeremor,
Nembe, Sagbama and other places.
He said,
“We had an election two days ago. In Ekeremor, there were widespread
shootings; they beat up people; the minister’s house was under siege for
a long time. It took a team of security operatives to repel the
assailants, yet election was held in Ekeremor.
“When APC protested, the protest was waived aside; our protest died like a candle in the wind.
“In
Sagbama, we did not see election materials. As I speak, one of the
chieftains of our party is lying critically ill. The APC protested
vehemently, nobody heard our protest.
“In Nembe, where the APC won, they quickly cancelled two wards, 8 and 9. We protested and our protest was rejected.
“The
election ab initio was set up for the PDP to win. In Southern Ijaw, we
have a good showing there, and the election is cancelled.
“When the
REC saw that the APC was leading, he cancelled it. This is very
unacceptable to our party. If they want us to accept it, they must
cancel the elections in Ekeremor, Sagbama, part of Ogbia and Nembe.”
Sylva
maintained that the REC had no power to cancel election that had taken
place, stressing that it was only the Returning Officer that had the
power to announce a cancellation.
Sylva said the APC was going to collate all results in SILGA and head for court.
Also, the
national leadership of the PDP has alleged that voters in Bayelsa State
rejected an alleged plan by the APC to rig the state’s governorship
election.
It therefore commended the courage of the people of the state in “fearlessly curtailing APC’s rigging machinery.”
The party said the action of the voters led to the cancellation of the election result in Southern Ijaw LGA of the state.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Monday.
Metuh
said, “But for the bravery of Bayelsans in standing up for their votes
against harassment by the military and other security forces working for
the APC, their will as a people would have been completely subverted in
the election.”
He said the PDP was proud of the actions and concerted efforts of its members in resisting the alleged rigging and impunity.
The PDP
stated, “We condemn in the strongest possible term the wanton
confiscation and transfer of voting materials by security operatives
directly to the APC agents for outright allocation of votes.
“For the
purposes of the rescheduled Southern Ijaw election, we wish to make it
abundantly clear that we are ready, willing and able to defend the
choice of the people.
“Never again will this leadership of the PDP allow our party candidates to be manipulated out of any election at any level.’’
The state agent of the APC, Mr. Dennis Otiotio, told journalists that INEC in the state had shown bias against his party.
Otiotio
alleged that the election in Yenagoa, Sagbama and Ekeremor was marred by
violence and hijacking of election materials, adding that the Minister
of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, was nearly killed
by political thugs.
He added,
“The violence in Yenagoa was fierce as some persons hijacked materials
and wrote results; they accepted the results. In Nembe Ward 8 and 9,
there was no election, yet they accepted the results.’’
An agent
of the PDP in the state, Fred Agbedi, said his party was ready to wait
for the next date of the election in Southern Ijaw.
Agbedi
said, “For supporters of the PDP and Southern Ijaw people, our duty, as a
party and our candidate and governor of Bayelsa State, is to ensure
that there is peaceful atmosphere, where everybody is given the
opportunity to cast his or her votes without intimidation and
deprivation, and that is what the governor of my state and the leader of
the party stands for.’’
As of
Monday evening, the atmosphere in Yenagoa was still tense as people
gathered in groups to know the outcome of the election, especially in
the highly-volatile Southern Ijaw LGA.
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