I just don't understand why Bayelsa governorship election is kind of going the Kogi route. The leadership of INEC has cancelled Bayelsa State governorship election in the controversial Southern Ijaw LGA — the biggest and one of the state’s eight LGAs.
INEC was said to have based the decision taken due to violence, the abduction of electoral officials and a lot of ballot box snatching incidences, according to official sources.
INEC believed that what happened in Southern Ijaw was a negation of global best practices in election conduct and that it was necessary to cancel the election there to enthrone credibility.
According to Premium Times, officials say the supplementary election will be conducted in due date.
The electoral agency decided on the cancellation of the Southern Ijaw votes shortly after two Toyota Hilux vehicles, carrying 24 ballot boxes and some men (believed to be political thugs) stormed the collation centre in Yenagoa, causing a stir.
They vehicle drove in as if they were chased into the venue, screeching to a halt outside the centre. Three men came down chanting local war songs.
They claimed the boxes contained electoral materials from Southern Ijaw and that they had overwhelmed ‘soldiers’ firing at them to return the ballot boxes they were carrying.
They did not appear to be INEC officials and officials at the collation centre were dazed and unsure about how to react.
Shortly afterwards, journalists covering the collation were advised to move from the collation centre to INEC office for a press briefing on the situation in Southern Ijaw LGA.
Tension remains thick amid reports of protest. Police has banned all forms of rally in the state for now.
The electoral agency decided on the cancellation of the Southern Ijaw votes shortly after two Toyota Hilux vehicles, carrying 24 ballot boxes and some men (believed to be political thugs) stormed the collation centre in Yenagoa, causing a stir.
They vehicle drove in as if they were chased into the venue, screeching to a halt outside the centre. Three men came down chanting local war songs.
They claimed the boxes contained electoral materials from Southern Ijaw and that they had overwhelmed ‘soldiers’ firing at them to return the ballot boxes they were carrying.
They did not appear to be INEC officials and officials at the collation centre were dazed and unsure about how to react.
Shortly afterwards, journalists covering the collation were advised to move from the collation centre to INEC office for a press briefing on the situation in Southern Ijaw LGA.
Tension remains thick amid reports of protest. Police has banned all forms of rally in the state for now.
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