INEC Declares Bello Kogi State Gov-elect, Tight Contest in Bayelsa

 

All Progressives Party (APC) governorship Candidate, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has emerged winner in the Kogi State governorship supplementary election polling 6,885 votes to defeat incumbent governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr Idris Wada, who got 5,363 votes. Bello was declared Governor-elect by the state Returning Officer, Professor Kusa Emmanuel, having polled a total of 247,752 as against PDP's 204,877 votes.

But in Bayelsa, it was a tight contest between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Hon. Seriake Dickson, and his  All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, Chief Timipre Sylva, in saturday State governorship election that claimed at least four lives and injured several others as violence broke out in part of the state.

Saturday’s election had been projected to be a walkover for Bello who replaced the former candidate of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Audu, the APC governorship candidate that died on the verge of victory in the inconclusive governorship election held two weeks ago.

The result of yesterday’s supplementary poll as announced by INEC at its office in Lokoja showed that in  Okene, Yahaya Bello’s local government, the APC candidate polled 208  votes while Wada got 2 votes. Surprising, in Dekina, Captain Wada’s local government, APC scored 2178, while PDP got 1999.

Other results announced showed that in  Okehi,  APC scored 108 votes, PDP 0; in Kogi KK, APC got 406, PDP 281;  Idah, APC  got 62, PDP 70; Yagba West, APC 86, PDP 73; Adavi, APC 878,  PDP 12; Igalamela/Odolu; APC 92, PDP 434; and in Kabba/Bunu APC 201, PDP 131; Ajaokuta, APC 538, PDP 12.

The APC candidate also scored 167 in Olamaboro while PDP got 332. In Omala,  APC scored 317, PDP 323; in Ijumu, APC got 86, PDP102; in Ankpa APC  scored 562, PDP 629; in Bassa, APC got 221, PDP 114; in Ibaji, APC secured 369, PDP got 220; in Ofu APC  scored 105, PDP 484; and in Lokoja APC secured 301, PDP got 145.   

Counting began early but progressed into late evening Saturday in the supplementary governorship election held in 91 polling units of the state. APC had defeated the ruling PDP in the state in the main election on November 21, but it was with a margin lower than the number of registered voters in the 91 polling units where the election was cancelled. This led to the declaration of the governorship poll as inconclusive by INEC. The late APC candidate polled 240,867 votes ahead of Wada who polled 199,514 leaving a difference of 41,353. The number of cancelled votes was about 44,500. But things got tricky after the APC candidate, Abubakar Audu, died soon after the declaration by INEC on November 22. In the ensuing political and legal logjam, APC picked Alhaji Yahaya Bello as replacement for Audu. The suits by Audu’s running mate, Mr. Abiodun Faleke, and incumbent Governor Idris Wada, challenging the choice of Bello and seeking to stop the supplementary election failed on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, clearing the way for yesterday’s election.
While yesterday’s supplementary election was relatively peaceful, it was marked by low voter turnout.

But in the Bayelsa, four persons were killed, with many more injured in the governorship election that witnessed violence and the malfunctioning of the smart card readers in many areas.

Just like it happened during the March 28 presidential election, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) card reader again rejected the thumbprint of former president Goodluck Jonathan in yesterday's governorship election.

Alongside his wife and mother, Jonathan came to polling unit 039, Ward 13 in Ogbia local government area, located exactly opposite his Otuoke residence, but he could not get accredited via the card reader. Jonathan returned to the polling unit around 10am. This time around, the card reader acknowledged the former president and his wife but failed to read his mother’s biometrics. An incident form was filled on her behalf before she was manually accredited. There were also pockets of violence in Ekeremor, Nembe, Sagbama and Brass local government areas. The deaths occurred in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area during an early morning violence that erupted in the council.

INEC has cancelled the governorship election in Southern Ijaw local council and rescheduled it for today. Also suspended till today are the elections in Ward 09, Nembe Local Government Area, and 13 other units in the council; Anyama and Ward 05 (Okodi) in Ogbia Local Government Area; and Ward 6 (Cape Formosa) and six polling units in Brass Local Government Area.

The INEC public relations officer, Timidi Wariowei, who announced the postponements in a statement, did not give reasons, but stated that the elections were expected to start at 8am sunday.

In Okpoama, Brass Island, Silva was accredited at 11.41am along with his Wife, Alayingi, at his Eseni Square, Unit 4, Ward 4 in Okpoama-Brass.

Speaking with journalists at the polling centre, Sylva expressed sadness at the attack on the Ekeremor home of his campaign director-general and Minister of State for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Heineken Lokpobri. He said the siege on the minister’s home was an indication of PDP’s desperation to remain in power at all cost. The former governor also frowned on the many incidents of card reader failure, but expressed optimism that having had a successful campaign he was sure of victory.

The APC candidate, who was attacked on Friday by suspected political thugs on his way to Okpoama for the election, said many thugs were apprehended yesterday by the Joint Task Force at Odioma.

On the alleged infiltrating of gunmen from Delta and Rivers states, he said, “We got security reports of infiltrations by PDP thugs but it seemed to be ignored by security owing to, maybe, conflicting reports.

“Here in Okpoama, there is peace; everyone is allowed to exercise his or her franchise. You can see that there is peace here.
“My card read well, but while in the line I noticed that many people were failed by the card reader. I want INEC to up this technology, it gives me some worry, but in all it is going well.

“The other party didn't want election, from what we can see with the proliferation of thugs and violence. The minister was attacked, he called me that his house had been attacked, we called for security reinforcement and he is safe now."

Dickson, who was accredited at his Toru Orua unit in Sagbama Local Government Area, also expressed worry over the violence, killings, and card reader malfunctioning. He came to the polling station with his wife, Racheal, and mother, Madam Gold. The governor got accredited about 10.30am at Oruere-Ware Unit 5 of ward 2.

He told newsmen at his polling unit, “We are taking note of the violence against our people. Everyone knows who they are and security agents are watching while they carry out the mayhem."

Former President Goodluck Jonathan was accredited about 9.40am at Otuabula unit 039 in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area. Jonathan called on INEC to review the card reader technology with a view to making it more efficient. The card reader had rejected the fingerprints of the former president’s wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, and five members of his entourage. But the presiding officer at the unit ordered for a backup card reader before Jonathan was accredited while the others were accredited manually using the incident forms.

Speaking at his polling unit, Jonathan called on the people of the state to be calm and peaceful, saying peaceful conduct of election is the hallmark of democracy.

“When elections are not credible, peaceful and fair, the people would not be allowed to elect who to govern them,” he said.
Jonathan bemoaned the repeated malfunctioning of the card readers at elections and urged INEC to review the use of the card readers head of the 2019 general election.

In Ekeremor, the director of publicity and media of the Sylva/Igiri campaign organisation, Chief Nathan Egba, said yesterday eyewitness report had it that “thugs suspected to have been hired by the Peoples Democratic Party from Delta State stormed the residence of the minister at Ekeremor town in Ekeremor Local Government Area in the early hours of this morning.

“It was further revealed that the said thugs overpowered security men deployed to Ekeremor and made their way into the minister’s compound, causing mayhem with Senator Lokpobiri and others trapped inside the house.

“While the security personnel attached to the minster were making attempts to restore the situation, the attack intensified as the PDP thugs said to be led by one Tolu Amatolo intensified attack and took over the entire community.”

The campaign organisation listed the affected communities to include Oporoma in Southern Ijaw, where the APC state chairman, Tiwei Orunimighe, hails from; Nembe; Brass, Sylva’s local government; and Ekeremor, where Lokpobiri hails from.

Egba spoke further on the violence.
“In Nembe-Ogbolomabiri yesterday, 2 APC members were shots until the Military Task Force ordered every residents to go into their houses and remain in-doors.

“In Sagbama town, headquarters of Sagbama Local Government Area, one APC supporter was attacked. Sagbama is the local government of Governor Dickson, who is the PDP candidate.

“In Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, it took the military force to repel the PDP thugs, who had planned to snatch the sensitive election materials. Four persons were reportedly killed in the gun battle.

“At Odioma community in Brass Local Government Area, Chief Sylva was attacked by PDP supporters on Friday evening. Four journalists on the train of Chief Sylva were missing in Odioma for several hours after the gun shots. It took the efforts of the JTF and local vigilante group to rescue the journalists from their hiding late night of Friday.”

Egba alleged that in Opolo town, the APC Ward 5 campaign coordinator, Utovie Egba, was matcheted by  thugs, when they prevented APC polling agents from gaining access to the centre.

While some claimed the violence in Sothern Ijaw involved rival thugs from APC and PDP, others claimed it was a gun battle between the two ex-militant groups, which lasted for hours, was due to an attempt to hijack the accreditation and voting materials from the INEC headquarters in the area.

Most of the ad-hoc staff and officials were locked inside the INEC office by armed soldiers who repelled the armed attempts to hijack the materials. Three of the invaders were, reportedly, killed as security forces battled to restore normalcy.