Tight Security At Bayelsa INEC Office As Collation Of Results Begin
Ahead of collation of results in the concluded elections at headquarters in Yenagoa, is chocked to with watertight security.
Only very negligible few accredited Journalists, especially electronic media were allowed.
Even some accredited persons were allowed to drive into the INEC office with their vehicles no matter how highly placed in society.
They are politely asked to park their cars at a designated distance before they are allowed in.
The head of Voter Education of INEC in Bayelsa, INEC Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, has assured that this state’s Collation Centre will be opened.
Commenting on reported cases of violence at the polling units the INEC National Electoral Commissioner in Charge of Bayelsa, Edo and Rivers State, Mrs. May Agbamuche- Mbu, has said that INEC is yet to make up its mind on whether there should be a rerun or not.
But for now, the will study the official reports from the officers who were on the ground when the alleged election malpractices or violence took.
It is so tight that even duly accredited individuals who don’t have any business with Collation
However, it has been reported that Four of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Bumodi-Gbene in Yenagoa and Ologi in Ogbia Local Government areas of Bayelsa State were abducted and later released the conduct of the Governorship election in the state.
It was also gathered that officials of INEC on election duty were abducted in the Bumodi-Bgbene community in Ekpetiama clan of Yenagoa Local Government Area by suspected party thugs.
The suspected thugs abducted were and taken to a building nearby where they were locked up and held incommunicado for some time.
Similarly, the Angiama community of Southern Ijaw, election materials meant for the area were intercepted and hijacked by suspected thugs.
According to one of the ad-hoc staff, who is also an NYSC member and who managed to escape from the scene, said one of the Police personnel, a woman was pushed into a creek but is alive, while three officials whereabouts are unknown.
The official, Ukuachukwu Orji, who is the INEC supervisory resident electoral commissioner for Ogbia LGA, said members of the Ologi community forcibly prevented election in the riverine area, “As our people (electoral officers) were coming into the community after crossing the river, they seized them and the materials and burnt all the materials.
They chased our people away and seized some but the military rescued them.”
Mr. Orji, who is originally the REC for Anambra State, spoke in Otuoke (Ward 13 of Ogbia LGA) where President Goodluck Jonathan and his family voted. He said election in the community was then canceled because of the violence.
He expressed satisfaction that election has been smooth in other communities that form the LGA, except in Ologi.
The governorship election in Bayelsa State is being held in all the eight local government areas of the state.
Other areas where election materials have been hijacked by the PDP are Sagbama Ward 6, 7, 11 and 14.
It is also reported of a high level of electoral misconduct in Sagbama, the LGA of the incumbent governor, Henry Seriake Dickson.
Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has expressed disappointment over the late arrival of election materials to his polling unit, 39, in Otuoke under ward 13 of Ogbia Local Government Area in Bayelsa State.
Jonathan, who was expected to cast his vote this morning, met only journalists on the ground when he arrived at his polling unit about 8:30 a.m. Arriving the polling unit he said to a reporter: “are you an electoral officer,” and when the journalist replied that he is a reporter, Jonathan then asked “where are they?
Eventually, Former President Goodluck Jonathan emerged with his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan to cast his vote in the presence of Ukuachukwu Orji, who is the INEC supervisory resident electoral commissioner for Ogbia LGA.
According to Jonathan, “My wife and I were able to cast our votes today as soon as the polling booth at Unit 39 Ward 13 in Otuoke opened just before noon. I urge Bayelsans and voters in Kogi State to go about performing this important civic responsibility in a peaceful manner.
I am encouraged by the determination and yearning of Nigerians for good governance to believe that we will soon get to a point where we will adopt the right attitude and innovation that will strengthen our democracy”.
The Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson who voted at Oruerewari, Polling Unit 005, Toru Orua in Sagbama local government area, called on the Independent National Electoral
Commission to cancel the election in some parts of the state, where the exercise was characterized by alleged brigandage, hijacking of electoral materials and personnel.
Governor Dickson, also called for outright cancellation of the elections in Nembe local government area where over twenty PDP faithful were massacred by armed APC militia during an aborted campaign rally of the PDP, “I call on the Chairman of INEC to issue an order canceling the process in all the wards, in all the local government areas affected, in all the wards and units, where materials have been stolen or hijacked, where officials have been kidnapped and held hostage to enable the APC to cook up non existing figures.”
According to the governor, some unprofessional elements in the Nigerian Army connived with the APC thugs to perpetrate electoral fraud and insecurity in some parts of Southern Ijaw, Ekeremor and Ogbia and even the state capital, Yenagoa.
Governor Dickson, who highlighted the alleged gruesome killings during the PDP campaign in Nembe, noted that what is going on in Bayelsa is a charade and not a democracy.
“Materials meant for Eniwari community, Opuama ward, most locations in Southern Ijaw as we earlier predicted were hijacked. As everyone knows, the APC has no foothold in Bayelsa to win an election but they have an armed militia, surveillance contractors who kill and maim for the APC. They also have the Nigerian Army and rogue elements of the Police Force working in concert with them to deny the citizens of these communities their right to vote”.
“So as we are speaking, in our country, in this day and age, gun-wielding militiamen with the aid of security forces have overrun the election officials and most of the electoral officials in Southern Ijaw.
These officials as we speak, have been kidnapped and held hostage. This has been the lot, this has been what we’ve been managing since 2015, with APC at the center, not caring about the lived and dignity of our people.
The APC at the center is too hungry and determined to make Nigeria a one-party state”.
“The president has to wake up and do something. What is going on in Bayelsa in the name of election is not a democracy. I call on the President to call on the security agents particularly the Army to stop desecrating Democratic governance and subjecting the image of the country to ridicule.
I call on the Inspector General of Police to be true to his professional calling and direct the DIG and all the security operatives to protect the people of Bayelsa”. I do not want to be pushed to call on them to defend and protect themselves.”
FORMER Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, has lauded the people of Opokuma in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State for their peaceful conduct during the governorship election in the area.
Though there was some level of voters’ apathy in the area ostensibly due to the ravaging flood, which has displaced several families, the people were orderly in their conduct.
On the near voters’ apathy recorded in the area, he said, “I think there is a level of voters apathy especially from this site and I am still trying to know why. But some of the physical reasons are clear the flood has affected a lot more of our families, communities and we sympathize with them.
“Some of the polling centers have been moved to other places where people can vote. Nobody will be happy to be casting his or her vote in a situation where you don’t even have a place to lay your head.
“So these are the environmental challenges that we suffer here in the Niger Delta especially in Bayelsa State that is carrying the whole body of water to the ocean.”
The likes of the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Cleopas Moses, the Director-General of the PDP campaign, Nimibofa Ayawei and the Former Chairman of the APC, Tiwei Oruniniegh hail from the troubled Koluama 1 and Koluama 2.
Though the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Hon. David Lyon, who is from the Olugbobiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area voted peacefully in his ward, some of the voters were seen patiently waiting for commencement by officials of INEC.
