Governor of Bayelsa State and candidate of the PDP, Senator Douye Diri, has established an early lead in the governorship election held yesterday in the state.
Results from the polling units in Ogbia, Nembe, Brass, Sagbama, Ekeremor, Kolokuma-Opokuma, Yenagoa and parts of Southern Ijaw indicated that the governor was ahead of the other candidates, reports Sunday Sun.
The results released so far at most of the polling units in Ogbia, Nembe, Brass, Sagbama, Ekeremor, Kolokuma-Opokuma, Yenagoa and Amassoma in Southern Ijaw indicated that Diri scored high votes than his opponents.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan delivered his polling unit 039 Otuabula in Otuoke community to the PDP, which is leading in 19 units with a total 1,379 votes as against the All Progressive Congress (APC) 1,015.
Also in Ogbia Local Government Area, results released in Opume community, where a former Commissioner of Information, Strategy and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson hails from, also delivered massively for the PDP, winning 15 out of the 17 polling units in the community.
Earlier, there were allegations of violence and clear case of vote buying during the governorship election held in the state yesterday.
Before the election there had been concerns by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, who expressed worries that the state has a high degree of violent process.
Investigations indicated that there were reported cases of heavy shooting in Famgbe, Ekeki, Biseni in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Ogbia and Sagbama local government areas.
In Famgbe, one person was feared killed and several others injured as gunmen suspected to be loyal to the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) engaged in a gun duel.
It was learnt that the two camps engaged in the shoot-out to scare away each other’s supporters from the polling units.
Sources said that electoral materials were destroyed in the process.
At Ekeki in the Yenagoa metropolis, heavy shooting by armed thugs scared away voters who had been voting peacefully since the exercise commenced in the morning.
In Southern Ijaw, there were reported cases of hijack of electoral materials by armed men.
The same allegations have been made in Ogbia with reported cases of election materials being destroyed by suspected thugs.
Governor Diri speaks
Consequently, Governor Diri has condemned the actions of some individuals in Bassambiri community in Nembe Local Government, which prevented some members of the PDP from casting their votes.
Diri who spoke shortly after voting at his Kalama- Owei Wari Unit 4 Ward 6 Sampou community in Kolokuma/ Opokuma Local Government Area said the party has already written to the INEC Chairman to take action over the situation.
The governor also expressed concern over the hijack of sensitive election materials at Ward 6 in Sagbama Local Government Area.
While assessing the exercise, he said that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has made the voting process fast and seamless.
“We have concerns at Nembe-Bassambiri where our party members were stopped from going into the community. Our party has written an official letter to the INEC Chairman to ensure that our people are allowed to go in and vote. What we call for is a free and fair process where BVAS is used just as I have done here.’’
He took a swipe at his main opponent, Timipre Sylva of the APC, who he accused of employing violence during the election.
“Timipre Sylva has been a violent person in every election. If you recall, the leader of the Ijaw nation, Elder Edwin Clark, wrote a letter to him on why he has refused to drop his forceful and violent way of winning elections,” Diri said.’ Adding “however, God is on the throne and we’re standing against him in his violent way of winning elections.’’
Sylva says PDP in panic, accuses military of compromise
Also, former Bayelsa governor and APC candidate, Sylva accused both the PDP and the Nigerian military of molesting voters in the ongoing governorship election.
Mr Sylva speaking with journalists after casting his ballot at Polling Unit 4, Dukuraku Central Open Space, Okpoama, Ward 4, Brass Local Government, said that the contest appeared to be between APC and the security agents, particularly the military who are taking sides.
He said: “I am very confident that things will go for APC, but we have some issues in units 3, 5 and 9 because the registers are not uploaded. We escalated it to INEC and they accepted that it was a careless mistake on their part. I know why units in my ward were not uploaded.
“So far, in my unit things are going well, but around the state we are following there is a lot of violence. PDP is doing quite a bit there trying to molest our voters with security. In fact, in some cases, it is believed that we are running this election not against PDP, but against security. But we are contending with the situation and in the end, we come out victorious.
“This morning I woke up with the story of one of my APC members being shot in Yenagoa, by afternoon we heard the situation the military personnel have taken over some areas, in fact, in the Biseni community the military are there to snatch ballot boxes.”
Ogbuku hails process
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Chief Samuel Ogbuku has described the electoral process in Bayelsa State governorship election as peaceful.
Chief Ogbuku who spoke to journalists shortly after casting his vote at Unit 001 in Ward 3 of Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State said that in spite of the initial glitches, the INEC was able the put their machines in order and commended the commission for a job well done.
Bayelsa LP guber candidate laments massive vote-buying
The Labour Party governorship candidate in the Bayelsa State election, Mr Udengs Eradiri, has expressed disappointment over the high level of vote buying experienced during the poll.
Eradiri who spoke at Agudama-Ekpetiama shortly after voting said that Nigeria has a long way to go.
“I had thought my message against money politics would have resonated with the people, but I was wrong. I was deeply disappointed, I was wrong.
“My greatest disappointment was with a woman from this community to whom I offered a scholarship to her son, she sold her vote for N14,000 and I was disappointed,” he said
According to him, his regret was that the electorate who had welcomed his ideas made a U-turn and opted for money.
He disclosed that some voters sold their votes for as high as N40,000.
“We have a long way to go in this country and money politics, I thought I had found a solution but I was wrong, I did not come into this race to buy votes,” Eradiri said.
Voters apathy, intimidation, ballot box snatching mar poll in Imo
…Robbers made away with N1.5m cash for vote buying
In Imo State, the governorship election was trailed by forceful snatching of ballot boxes by thugs believed to be working for the ruling party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC), just as there was low turnout of voters across the state.
There were also some complaints of vote buying by the APC.
At Uzuna Umu ward 1, booth 008 at Mgbidi in Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State, fisticuffs by the APC and PDP led to the temporary halting of the election in that polling unit.
A fight broke out after supporters of the PDP challenged the leaders of the APC from that ward who were alleged to be buying votes from the voters with N2,000.
A chieftain of the PDP, Joseph Ikpubundu from that ward who narrated the incident to our correspondent alleged that the APC was doing the same in other polling units in the local government.
Also, the guber candidate of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, told newsmen shortly after casting his vote in his polling unit that the ruling party allegedly made away with the INEC ballot boxes in Orlu.
He said: “In Orlu, there were cases of ballot box snatching in about seven wards, but that doesn’t bother me because it will not deter me from winning.”
Similarly, the governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Kemdi Chino Opara, alleged that there was vote buying by the APC.
The YPP candidate who has also not ruled out his chances of winning expressed disappointment at the alleged vote buying by the APC.
He claimed that the APC bought the electorate in his ward and some other areas in the state.
“The APC has been buying voters in polling units, but I know in my area, Mbaitoli, which has the highest number of electorate can’t go down to APC. I’m here and the PDP candidate is also there from Mbaike,” he said.
Another serious allegation of ballot box snatching was made by the Campaign Director General of the PDP governorship candidate, Evangelist Mike Ikoku at Obinocha hall in Nwangele Local Government Area of the state.
Ikoku alleged that the governor’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Chinasa Nwaneri, in company of some men wearing army uniforms came with an amoured carrier vehicle to snatch ballot boxes.
He also claimed that a personnel of the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) securing the voting area was harassed by Nwaneri who he also claimed said his phones and magazines as well as that of his colleague, Polycarp, was seized.
This is just as robbers who stormed the All Saints Anglican Church, Egbu in Owerri North council, suspected to have targeted agents of the All Progressive Congress (APC) made away with N1.5 million allegedly meant for vote buying.
The governorship polls recorded low turnout in many of the polling units in the state. For instance, at PU 012 Magistrate Court, Amaraku in Isiala Mbano LG, which has registered voters of 753, only 200 came for accreditation.
The Presiding Officer, Charles Iwuanyanwu, said that most voters did not come out to vote because of fear of insecurity in the state.
Similarly, in Nowa PU 032 Ward in Ihitte Uboma, it was discovered that out of the registered 506 voters about 150 voters came out to vote and this was the situation in most of the polling units.
However, in seven wards, election materials for the Orsu clan in Orlu local government were allegedly hijacked with the help of the police and moved to the palace of Eze Udo of Amaifeke who also doubles as the chairman of Imo State Council of Ndieze.
In Okigwe, all the election materials gathered at the stadium were moved to the local government secretariat where no other agent is allowed in except those of the APC.
No voting materials were sent to Okwelle 1 and 2, instead voting materials were allegedly diverted to Okwelle Police Station where APC agents were alleged to be thumb printing and writing results.
Also, in seven polling booths in Imoko ward, eight polling booths in Izuoga ward 2, 24 polling booths in Iheme ward, were all hijacked and taken to somewhere in Akokwa, where APC members were alleged to be busy writing the results.
In the same manner, at Akokwa in Ideato North, electoral materials were allegedly hijacked and diverted to the house of one chieftain of the APC.
It was gathered that all the voting materials from the four wards in Arondizuogu clan were taken to the APC chieftain and that they were given cover by the security agents, including the Civil Defence, army and police personnel who used 10 Hilux vans to block the roads to give them cover.
Gov Uzodimma lauds exercise
Earlier, Governor Hope Uzodimma after voting at his Omuma ward in Oru West Local Government Area of the State expressed happiness at the conduct of the election.
According to him, the election was peaceful contrary to the expectations of most analysts who he said had predicted a war.
“I’m happy the election has proved them wrong contrary to what they think it was going to be, most of them have thought it was going to be a war zone, but it was not and I’m impressed,” the governor said.
Achonu, LP candidate, optimistic of winning
The Labour Party gubernatorial candidate, Senator Athan Achonu, expressed optimism of emerging victorious in the poll.
Achonu said that Imo people yearning for a change found the Labour Party and his eventual victory as the solution to Imo problems.
He stated this immediately after casting his vote at Numo Primary School, Umuchoke Umunomu, booth 008, in Ehime-Mbano LGA of Imo State.
According to him, the manner with which voters conducted themselves was impressive and speaks volumes of a community that is ready to produce the next governor of the state.
“The process is smooth at the moment. I have just cast my vote and as you can see, the voters are calm and have refused to be bought over. They know what they want.
“The truth remains that Imo people are tired of bad governance. They are tired of going hungry as a result of the APC misrule. And today, they have thronged out in their numbers to make a strong statement. They have all chosen the Labour Party as an alternative to solve the Imo problems,” he said.
On the electoral umpire, he said that the right thing should be done, insisting that the APC would not have their way, following the clamour by Imo people for change.
He expressed satisfaction at the turnout of voters, describing it as a show of love for him and the Labour Party.
State LP chairman accuses APC of hijacking electoral materials
The Imo State Chairman of Labour Party (LP) , Calistus Ihejiagwa, accused the members of the All Progressives Congress in the state of allegedly hijacking the electoral materials meant for four Wards in the Ideato North Local Government Area of the state.
The LP chairman also accused security agents of aiding and abetting the APC in the criminal act.
In a statement he issued yesterday, Ihejiagwa alleged that APC members hijacked and diverted the materials to the house of one of the chieftains of the party.
He also accused the security agents of aiding and abetting the APC members to hijack and divert the materials.
He said: “Rigging is ongoing now by APC at Akokwa in Ideato North LGA at the house of an indigene of the area.
“They hijacked all the voting materials from the four Wards in Arondizuogu clan and are voting with it there.
“They have about 10 Hilux vehicles with police, army and NSDC. They blocked the roads and are giving APC cover as they rig the election
“Secondly, Governor Hope Uzodimma is moving around here in Ideato North LGA with heavy security men. Right now he is at the INEC office Urualla inside the council headquarters manipulating INEC people.”
But the spokesperson for the APC in the state, Cajetan Duke, said that there was no truth in the allegations.
He said that the APC members are conducting themselves well in the election.
INEC suspends elections in 9 wards in Kogi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended elections in nine wards in Ogori/Magongo LGA, comprising Eni, Okibo, Okesi, Ileteju, Aiyeromi, Ugugu, Obinoyin, Obatgben and Oturu, of Kogi State.
The commission hinged its decision on the reports from its officials in the state concerning incidents of electoral malpractices, particularly that of result sheets completed before voting.
INEC, in a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Member Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna,
disclosed that it would follow the audit trail of personnel and materials to ascertain those who may have been complicit in undermining the process.
“The commission has received reports from our officials in Kogi State on incidences of electoral malpractices, particularly the incident of result sheets completed before voting.
“Reports indicate that the incidents occurred in Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene Local Government Areas. The most serious incidents occurred in Ogori/Magongo, affecting nine of 10 Registration Areas. This is entirely unacceptable. Any result not emanating from the commission’s process in the Polling Units will not be accepted.
“The commission is determined not to reward bad behaviour. Consequently, the election in the nine Wards in Ogori/Magongo LGA (Eni, Okibo, Okesi, Ileteju, Aiyeromi, Ugugu, Obinoyin, Obatgben and Oturu) is at this moment suspended.
“The incidences in the other LGAs are being thoroughly investigated, and the outcome, including the way forward, will be announced in the next 24 hours,” the statement read.
“Meanwhile, as the processes continue, we follow the audit trail of personnel and materials to ascertain those who may have been complicit in undermining the process. We have a record of all officials deployed at various levels as supervisors, monitors, technical staff or polling unit officials and all election materials issued to them. Appropriate sanctions will be applied where necessary.
“The commission assures voters in Kogi state that their votes are protected, and their wishes will be respected,” the commission said.
Large turnout, election orderly in Kogi • APC supporter killed
There was a large turnout of voters across all the 21 local government areas of Kogi State as the election was largely peaceful and orderly.
There was also early arrival of election materials as accreditation began as early as 8:20 a.m especially in some polling units in Kabba-Bunu , Ijumu, Yagba West and Yagba East local government areas of the state.
By 8:30a.m in Lokoja, almost all polling units had the presence of electoral and security officials, with prospective voters checking out their names.
In Ankpa, Idah, Omala and Ofu, reports indicated early arrival of materials.
There was no election in Ogori-Magongo LG as voters waited endlessly to cast their votes while there were no voting materials in all the polling units in the local government as at 12: p.m when this story was filed.
An eyewitness alleged that a particular party hijacked the election materials and took it to a hideout where they stuffed the ballot boxes with votes of that particular party.
A woman was said to have been apprehended with the stuffed boxes with a sum of N1 million.
She was said to have been beaten and handed over to security men.
Reacting to the statement, INEC in a statement was quoted as expressing dissatisfaction over the incident. “Our attention has been drawn to a report that filled result sheets were discovered in some polling units in Kogi State.
“The Commission views this situation seriously. Our senior officials deployed to the state are currently investigating the incident(s). The Commission will communicate its decision earnestly.”
Meanwhile, it was learnt that INEC may cancel the results of that local government and order a fresh election at a later date.
One person killed in Ayingba
Suspected thugs of a political party allegedly gunned down one Umar Hassan, 35, at his Agala Ogane Polling Unit, Anyigba.
Fear gripped voters at the Polling Unit as the thugs were said to be on rampage, threatening and shooting sporadically.
An eyewitness who identified himself simply as Adamu, told newsmen how the thugs invaded the Polling Unit with sophisticated weapons, threatening to kill anyone who does not vote for their party.
“It was like what we watch in horror movies as they invaded our Polling Unit with very dangerous weapons. Unfortunately, Hassan fell victim and he was gunned down.”
Reacting to the incident, the Spokesman of the APC Governorship Campaign Council, Kingsley Fanwo, condemned the attack and urged security agencies to fish out the killers immediately.
“The gruesome murder of Hassan Umar whose only sin was being an APC member is unacceptable. The security agents in the area should fish out the murderers immediately.
“In the 21st Century, it is sad that people are still killed for supporting a particular political party. It is unacceptable and condemnable. We knew the only agenda of the SDP is to wage violence against our people. We must restore confidence in our electoral process”, he said.
Gov Bello lauds INEC, security agencies over conduct of election
Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yayaha Bello commended INEC and the security agencies for the peaceful conduct of the gubernatorial election in the state.
Bello arrived to cast his vote at his Agassa poling unit 11, Agassa Okeneba ward at exactly 9:15 a.m accompanied by the first lady, Aminat Bello, Rashidat Bello and the second wife, Hafisat Bello.
He, however, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election, adding that he has not heard any negative report from any quarter.
Bello charged journalists to only publish verified reports and ignore rumour that might be circulated on the social media.
