7th December, 2015
Jethro Ibileke, Idowu Ogunleye/Yenagoa
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared the Bayelsa State governorship election as inconclusive.
The electoral body also cancelled the election held in Southern Ijaw local government area on Sunday, December 6.
INEC officials led by the REC, Prof Zana, had earlier announced results from seven of the eight local government area in the state with Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate and incumbent, Seriake Dickson in the lead.
Dickson claimed victory in six of the LGAs while his main challenger, Timipre Sylva managed to win one LGA.
It would be recalled that earlier today, PDP supporters besieged INEC office protesting the heavy presence of security operatives as well as delay in announcement of results from Southern Ijaw.
Photo: Idowu Ogunleye
The protesters who carried placards and sang war songs, attempted to storm election result collation centre.
Messages on some of the placards read: “we need peace; we say no to evil; military, stay away from politics; leadership is about building, not destroying.”
Security agents stationed in front of the State High Court, had a difficult time putting them under check as the angry protesters insisted on going into the collation centre, dead or alive, to see INEC officials.
Not even reinforcement from operatives of the Nigerian Army deter the determined protesters who alleged that military operatives hijacked electoral process in the Southern Ijaw and Nembe local government areas.
Photo: Idowu Ogunleye
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of security in the ongoing gubernatorial election in Bayelsa state, Hashimu Argungu, has declared that the police will use minimum force as provided in the law, to disperse protesters, if necessary.
Argungu who was responding to questions from journalists on Monday afternoon at the premises of governorship election result collation centre in Yenagoa, noted that the life and peace of the people are more important than anything else.
He disclosed that the police had hint of the planned protest before they staged, hence the reason why he issued and signed the statement banning protests and rallies in the state.
He enjoined the people of Bayelsa state to allow due process to prevail in the course of the election, adding that whoever feel aggrieved could always go to court.
Here are the results announced by INEC
Ekeremo LGA #BayelsaDecides
APC – 7,918
PDP – 14,602
Brass LGA #BayelsaDecides
APC – 21,755
PDP – 6,516
Sagbama LGA #BayelsaDecides
APC – 5,382
PDP – 28,934
Yenagoa LGA #BayelsaDecides
APC – 14,563
PDP – 24,258
Kolokuma/Opolokuma LGA #BayelsaDecides
APC – 6,896
PDP – 7,619