INEC Shifts Bayelsa Poll





INEC Shifts Bayelsa Poll, Bayelsa State, INEC, Seriake Dickson, Timipre Sylva, APC, PDP,
Governor Dickson casting his vote while Timipre Sylva was been accredited
At least, five persons were feared killed on Saturday in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State as the Independent National Electoral Commission cancelled and postponed the governorship election in some areas in the state to Sunday (today) because of violence.

Gunmen suspected to be militants stormed the Okporoma community in the state during Saturday’s poll and bombarded the area with heavy gunshots for several hours.

The action of the gunmen, which also left several persons critically injured, created fear in the area, a situation which forced many residents to flee for their lives.

Gunmen believed to be political thugs also unleashed terror on supporters of the two leading political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.

INEC rescheduled poll in Southern Ijaw three LGAs’ units

However, INEC on Saturday cancelled and rescheduled the governorship election for the whole of troubled Southern Ijaw LGA for Sunday (today).

This was made known by the Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity in the State INEC, Mr. Timidi Wariowei, in a statement on Saturday.

Wariowei said while Southern Ijaw was affected by the cancellation, 13 polling units in Nembe Ward 9 (Okoroma) were affected.

The units, according to Wariowei, who also doubles as the Public Relations Officer of the state INEC, are Units 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19.

He said election in Ward 4 (Anyama) and Ward 5 (Okodi) were also scheduled for Sunday.

In Brass LGA, the state’s INEC spokesman explained that elections would also take place in Ward 6 (Cape Formosa), Polling Units 12, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21.

Wariowei said the rescheduling of election in the affected areas was due to violence and disturbances recorded in those places.

He expressed the commission’s regret over the cancellation but added that that voting materials would be moved into the affected areas before 8am on Sunday (today).

Wariowei told Punch correspondents that collation of results was still taking place in the wards as of 8.20pm hence dismissing insinuations that the results of the election had been released.






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