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Tag: Bayelsa guber poll

  • Bayelsa guber poll: PDP warns aspirants against unguarded statements

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State has called on aspirants for the 2019 governorship election to be mindful of their utterances, especially in the media.

    The party said reckless utterances by some of the likely aspirants could overheat the polity and enthrone unnecessary tension and anxiety in the state ahead of the election.

    In a statement signed on Wednesday by its state Secretary, Chief Godspower Keku, the PDP said it was disturbed by recent media statements sponsored by some of the prospective aspirants to undermine the peace in the state.

    The statement noted that the PDP-led Restoration Government worked really hard in the last seven years to ensure a stable political space devoid of the usual volatile atmosphere ahead of crucial elections.

    The party said with just few months to the governorship election the calmness, peace and tranquillity in the state political space was unprecedented and a remarkable indication of the political dexterity of Governor Seriake Dickson.

    Keku added that persons fond of going to the media with irritating stories about the party and the governor were in the habit of giving their supporters a false impression about their political worth and capacity to win elections.

    The PDP scribe pointed out that elections were not won on the pages of newspapers and advised those willing to contest to rather intensify consultations with their constituents and gather more support to help them realize their ambition.

    He said the PDP remained the party to beat in the state and with Dickson leading at the front; it was poised to repeat the same feat it did in the 2015 governorship election.

    He added that despite all the odds including the use of federal might, Dickson became the first PDP governor to win a highly contested and hard-fought re-election with an opposition party at the center boasting that the resounding victory would be repeated in the coming election.

    Keku maintained that Dickson was firmly in control of the party saying it was evident in the last election which saw the party winning most of the seats in the state and National Assemblies.

    The statement urged all aspirants and party faithful including persons willing to contest the governorship election to close ranks with the governor to secure victory in both the local government and governorship elections.

    The statement said: “As the political space is beginning to charge up, the leadership of the PDP in Bayelsa will like to call on all intending aspirants for the governorship to be careful of their utterances, particularly in the media.

    “We have seen sponsored media publications which in our view seeks to undermine the peace in the state. It is highly unnecessary the intentions of those behind it as any attempt to push it further will over heat the polity.

    “The Restoration Government under His Excellency Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has worked hard to ensure political stability which has won the governor accolades at the national level. Unlike in the forgone past, we have elections just few months away and yet the usual heightened tension and anxiety are not in play.

    “Let us remind those who need to know that we have the capacity to win elections over and over again. We did it in 2015 and in the just concluded state and national assembly elections and we will surely do it again. Governor Dickson is still the man on the saddle and he is firmly in charge of the party and the state.

    “We therefore urge those who are always propagating falsehood with wrong impression of having the capacity to win election to stop deceiving their supporters but should rather increase their mobilization and consultations. For us as a party we will continue to provide a level playing ground for all”.

  • Tension as Dickson, Sylva engage in last battle 

    Tension as Dickson, Sylva engage in last battle 

    There was tension in Bayelsa State, Friday, as voters in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and over 101 polling units across six local councils, prepare to chose between Chief Timipre Sylva and Governor Seriake Dickson on Saturday.

    Since it started on December 5, the election has been a two-horse race between the former Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva and the incumbent Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Seriake Dickson.

    The December 5 governorship poll in the state was declared inconclusive with supplementary election fixed for today after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) controversially cancelled the results in Southern Ijaw.

    It was observed that Southern Ijaw has been soaked in tension in a build-up to the rerun.

    Hired militants and thugs were said to have laid siege in the council preparing to violently deliver their candidates.

    Some of the thugs who were reportedly brought into the council from neighboring states of Delta and Rivers were said to have clashed with indigenes of some Southern Ijaw communities.

    It was gathered that youths loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) caught one of the youths in Peremabiri, who reportedly confessed he was hired by the PDP.

    A source in Peremabiri who spoke in confidence, said there was tension in the area and other parts of the council.

    “There is tension everywhere. In fact, we don’t know what the outcome of the election will be. There are signs that it will be marred by violence,” he said.

    It was, however, gathered that the council was surrounded by gunboats of the Operation Safe Conduct (OSC), a special military outfit drafted to monitor the poll, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

    Following threats of violence, the NSCDC, directed its operatives and officers to provide maximum security around all the oil installations in the state.

    The corps also deployed 1500 personnel to assist other security agencies in ensuring a hitch-free election.

    While deploying the operatives, the state Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Desmond Agu, warned persons sent to protect public facilities against the temptation of leaving such installations to follow politicians.

    Agu said the Commandant-General had ordered that any NSCDC operatives found culpable of compromising the rules of engagement should be dismissed from the service.

    He said the officers and men of the command were deployed to provide security to critical public installations during the poll.

    He named such installations as facilities of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Oil and Gas Pipeline, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    He said: “On no account should they allow themselves to be used for other activities during this supplementary election in Southern Ijaw and environs as against their primary duties of keeping surveillance and protection over facilities in their custody.

    “Anyone found guilty to have contravened this strict order of the commandant-general will face a stringent disciplinary action of dismissal from service

    “I am not deploying you to go and die. Don’t attach yourself to any politician. I am commending you for the job you did in the last election because the people said if not for you, things would have got out of hand.”

    The commandant warned the people against destabilizing their state insisting that election is not a do or die affair.

    Also, the police command said it had beefed up security with increased foot, vehicular, and waterways patrols, as well as intensive aerial surveillance in all nooks and crannies of the state.

    A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Asinim Butswat, asked all political parties and their contestants to desist from any act capable, of disrupting the electoral process.

    The statement said: “The Command in collaboration with other security agencies have synergized to create an enabling environment for the forthcoming re-run elections in Southern Ijaw LGA and other affected polling units.

    “VIPs are advised to desist from using security men to escort them to polling units on election date, as any violation to this order will not be tolerated.

    “Security agencies have been ordered to enforce the restrictions of movements, of boats fitted with two hundred (200) horse power engine and above, and all river craft activities in the state waterways, from 7pm to 7am Friday 8th – Sunday 10th January, 2016, respectively.

    “Any person or group of persons who violates this order will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly. Likewise, movement of persons, motor vehicles and tricycles will be restricted on the election date, in the entire state, from the hours of 6am to 6pm, only those on essential duties will be allowed to move.

    “The electorates in the affected areas are advised to come out and exercise their franchise by casting their votes for candidates of their choice.”

     

  • Bayelsa poll: INEC begins consultation with stakeholders

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will announce the date for the supplementary election in Soutthern Ijaw after consulting with critical stakeholders.

    The consultation with national chairmen/national secretaries of political parties contesting the yet to be concluded Bayelsa governorship election and their respective governorship candidates is expected to begin Thursday as part of the wide consultation outlined by the commission.

    The Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) which is co-chaired by the INEC Chairman and the National Security Adviser (NSA) met Wednesday to review the situation from a security perspective.

    On Friday, 18th December 2015, the Commission will engage with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the Media.

    The December 5th governorship election in Sourthern Ijaw was cancelled and thereby making the entire election in the state inconclusive.

    Cancelling the election, INEC cited cases violence, ballot box snatching and hostage taking of electoral officials for its action.

    Southern Ijaw Local Government Area which is principally riverine has a total of 120,827 registered voters.

    Bayelsa state has a total of 663,639 registered voters.

  • Declare winner of Bayelsa guber poll, Sylva tells INEC

    Declare winner of Bayelsa guber poll, Sylva tells INEC

    • Military saved Bayelsa from imported thugs -APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to announce the results from the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and declare the winner of the elections.

    In a petition to INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, and copied to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami (SAN), Sylva said that the commission lacked the powers to cancel already concluded or on-going election.

    Sylva in a letter to the commission said: “It is important to note that under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), there is no power either, express or implied that is vested on the Resident Electoral Commissioner, your commission or any staff whatsoever to cancel election that has commenced or concluded, in any manner as was done in Bayelsa state.

    “The Commission’s power, in the above is limited only to the postponement of election that has not commenced”.

    The APC candidate, however, further requested that should the commission feel “strongly that it has the powers to cancel already concluded or on-going elections,” it should also cancel the elections in Ekeremor, Sagbama Local Government Areas, Wards 4 and 5 of Yenagoa and Ward 8,9 and 10 of Nembe Local Government Areas.”

    On Southern Ijaw Local Government, Sylva admitted that there was no election in the area on December 5, 2015, due to some violence.

    He, however, insisted that on December 6: “election materials were distributed from Local Government Headquarters at Oporoma to the different ward headquarters, and elections conducted in a free and fair manner at the different polling units and results announced”.

    “That elections were concluded on Sunday 6th December without any reported violence from the polling units or wards either by INEC officials on the field at the units or ward level.

    “That the different results from the LGAs were being collated at the state collation centre in Yenagoa from Sunday 6th to 7th December as the results were brought in by the different LGAs, and the Returning officer never reported any violence either during the election or while collation was ongoing as he had told everyone that the results of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area are still being awaited.

    “That at about 4pm or 5pm, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Bayelsa State announced the cancellation of the results of the election of Southern Ijaw Local Government Government Area citing violence and ballot snatching, and that another date for elections in Southern Ijaw would be announced.”

    Sylva further stressed that the current statues do not support the cancellation of an election while collation was on-going:

    “We consider the action of cancelling results of an election while collation is on-going as a dangerous precedent, usurping of the functions of the Tribunals established by the Constitution illegal and reminiscent of the annulment of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election and if allowed stand will not only expose your Commission to endless and avoidable litigations and would become a ready tool in the hands of officials of your Commission the power to truncate the will of the people,” he maintained.

    In a related development, the Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation (SICO) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayelsa State, yesterday said the military personnel deployed for the last weekend’s governorship election gave a good account of themselves in checking the activities of thugs allegedly brought into the state by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    The party condemned the statements credited to Governor Seriake Dickson, casting aspersion on the integrity of the Nigerian Army.

    APC claimed that the governor made the statement because the military men did not allow him carry on with his plans to compromise the election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

    A statement by SICO’s Director of Media and Publicity, Chief Nathan Egba, said it was regrettable that the Governor displayed his act of desperation by castigating the security forces who had come to help the people curtail the act of gangsterism and orchestrated violence perfected by his government to undermine the election.

  • Bayelsa: Youths, women protest cancellation of election results

    Bayelsa: Youths, women protest cancellation of election results

    Tension gripped Bayelsa State Wednesday after thousands of Youths barricaded major roads in Yenagoa, the state capital, to protest the cancellation of the election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The youths who demanded the immediate sacking of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Baritor Kpagir, also called for the urgent release of the Southern Ijaw Election results.

    The youths, who chanted songs in solidarity, said the REC erred for cancelling an election that had been conducted with results collated and pasted in various wards.

    Scores of physically-challenged persons on wheelchairs also joined the protest which was peacefully coordinated by armed riot policemen.

    On Monday while the results of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area was being awaited at the State Collation Centre in Yenagoa, Kpagir announced that the election in the council which was conducted on Sunday had been cancelled.

    Election in Southern Ijaw was shifted from Saturday to Sunday because of widespread violence but Kpagir waited till Monday to announce its cancellation citing violence, hijacking of electoral materials and other irregularities.

    But the youths who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) wondered why Kpagir isolated Southern Ijaw for cancellation while ignoring other areas such as Ekeremor,  Nembe, and Yenagoa that witnessed similar irregularities.

    The aggrieved protesters led by APC stalwarts and some members of the party’s state executive council carried placards with inscriptions such as,  “INEC should declare Southern Ijaw results now” ; Ijaw People reject and say no to dictatorial and draconian policies of Governor Seriake Dickson; “the INEC REC in Bayelsa should be sacked” and “Bayelsa reject the cancellation of Southern Ijaw”.

    The protesters took off in the morning from the APC state secretariat at Yenizu-egene and marched through the Mbiama-Yenagoa Road.

    They later diverted to Imgbi Road and headed for the INEC office located along Swali Road where they were received by INEC officials.

    The demonstrators who carried flags of the APC and other materials of the party sang songs of victory saying but for Kpagir’s decision, their candidate and former Governor Timipre Sylva would have won the election.

    On sighting mammoth crowd of protesters, security operatives deployed around INEC premises took their positions while an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) moved towards the crowd to stop at the entrance of the road leading to the office.

    Policemen with shields bounced out and barricaded the road while a Police officer who spoke with the aid of a sound system demanded the reasons behind the demonstration.

    The leader of the protest, Mr. Famous Daumenighe said the youths had come to deliver a message to the commission in a peaceful and orderly manner.

    He thanked Bayelsa State for joining the protest and said the action was a struggle for equity and justice.

    He said: “INEC has conducted election in Southern Ijaw and the results had been collated in all the ward levels. Even the returning officer said they were waiting for the results from Southern Ijaw.  But the REC for the reasons best known to him was in a hurry to cancel an election that had taken place.

    “If the Returning Officer had cancelled the election, there wouldn’t have been a problem.  But the REC by his action had shown that he is bias.  If southern Ijaw is to be cancelled then other councils like Ekeremor, Sagbama, Nembe and Yenagoa which witnessed large scale violence should also be cancelled.”

    He warned Ijaw youths from Delta and other neighboring States who were allegedly brought in as thugs to disrupt the election to stay away from the state.

    Other speakers said the protest would continue until INEC declares the Southern Ijaw results.

    But Kpagir who was represented by INEC’s Head, Operation, Mr. Victor O. thanked the APC members for conducting their action peacefully.

    Victor was flanked by other INEC officials and security operatives including observers from the African Union (AU), Christian Victor, and International Republican Institute, Mrs. Ben Udensi, said the REC was in Abuja adding that the directive to cancel the election was beyond them.

    Earlier, hundreds of women and youths from Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State Wednesday, took to the streets demanding cancellation of the election in the area.

    They said the election in the capital city was marred by irregularities and inconsistencies in the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    According to them INEC officials refused to listen to the complaints of voters and agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    They said the overall results were not a reflection of the results announced by the Collation officer in the council.

    The State Youth Leader of the APC, Edison Sorgwe and a Chieftain of the Party, Alawei Opukeme-Jonah, who spoke on behalf of the aggrieved voters , said the result announced by the INEC’s collation officer were inconsistent with the number of rejected and cancelled votes.

    They said the same cases of ballot box snatching, irregularities and violence which INEC relied upon to cancel the election in Southern Ijaw also played out in Yenagoa and should be depended on to annul the election in the capital city.

    They said over eight members of the party were nursing their wounds in various hospitals after sustaining attacks from political thugs.

    “We have lost confidence in the ability of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barton Kpagih to conduct election. We are against the cancellation of Southern Ijaw Local Government election,” he said.

     

  • Bayelsa guber poll can’t pass credibility test – TMG

    Bayelsa guber poll can’t pass credibility test – TMG

    The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) Tuesday said last Saturday’s Governorship poll in  Bayelsa State was badly conducted and that can never pass credibility test.

    TMG however lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for cancelling the rescheduled election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

    Chairman of TMG Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, said Abuja, during the presentation of the organisation’s preliminary observation of its 300 observers that the security agencies disappointed Nigerians by their conduct during the election.

    “The Bayelsa State governorship election, no doubt, was a very bad election and doesn’t have the minimum test of any credible election.

    “Every aspect of the process was characterised by harassment and intimidation.

    “For us, it is not an election that can pass a credible test.

    “In Southern Ijaw, INEC team couldn’t move their materials because they were held hostage. There were gunshots and many people, including journalists were chased into the bush by political thugs. There was no way election could have taken place. We support the cancellation of the election in Southern Ijaw based on what happened,” Zikirullahi said.

    He regretted that despite series of reports it lodged with security agencies, three months before the governorship elections in both states on likely flash points and the need to take firm action, security agencies turned their faces to the other way.

    He said: “From our experiences in both Kogi and Bayelsa states, it is either the security agencies were compromised or they just wanted to dismiss our claims. For three months, we have been spotlighting our feelings about security. Unfortunately, the security agencies disappointed Nigerians.

    “The Bayelsa example calls to question the integrity and capability of security agencies in the elections. As far as we are concerned, the election in Kogi State was conclusive, even though INEC described it as inconclusive. But for Bayelsa, the intimidation, harassment and threats were more. INEC did fairly well, the entire state was militarised.

    “The above findings suggest that the gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State was characterised by serious irregularities throughout the process which calls to question, the credibility of the election.”

    TMG calls on INEC to adhere to its approved guidelines and regulations for the conduct of the 2015 general elections to ensure the credibility of the electoral process.

  • Violence in Dickson’s Sagbama area

    Violence in Dickson’s Sagbama area

    There are reports of violence at unit 3, 2 and 1 at Toru-Orua community, Dickson’s home town in Sagbama local government area.

    Gunmen stormed the polling units and chased away the All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters.

    At Dickson’s unit 4, ward 2 where card reader has started working, an APC supporter was beaten to coma for challenging the thugs.

    The security personnel are facing hard time in dealing with the situation.

    They seemed helpless though they are trying to restore normalcy at the four units in the community.

     

  • Dickson, Lokpobiri disagree over attacks, violence

    Dickson, Lokpobiri disagree over attacks, violence

    The Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who is also the Director-General of Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation, have disagreed over attacks and violence associated with today’s governorship election.

    It was gathered that few hours before the commencement of accreditation of voters for today’s election, the country home of Lokpobiri came under heavy attacks by gunmen.

    According to eyewitnesses, thugs hired by Dickson and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stormed Lokpobiri’s residence in Ekeremor, the headquarters of riverine Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa state in the early hours of this morning.

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

    The security personnel attached to the minster made attempts to restore normalcy, but the attacks intensified, as the PDP thugs, led by Tolu Amatolo, intensified the attacks and took over the entire Ekeremor community.

    The Director, Media and Publicity of Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation, Chief Nathan Egba, insisted that Dickson imported the thugs who carried out the attacks in Ekeremor and other parts of Bayelsa state from neighbouring Delta and Rivers States.

    In his reaction, Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, quoted his boss as accusing Lokpobiri of sponsoring thugs, who he said were adorned in police and army uniforms and unleashing mayhem on PDP supporters and disrupting the electoral process.

    Iworiso-Markson stated that the Bayelsa governor spoke to reporters after his accreditation at Ward 2 of his Toru Orua hometown in Sagbama LGA, while decrying the failure of the card readers.

  • Thugs disrupt INEC operations at Ovom community

    Thugs disrupt INEC operations at Ovom community

    There is problem at Unit 16, 14, 9, 8 in Ovom community in Yanagoa where thugs are preventing INEC adhoc staff from settling down for the day’s job.

  • Bayelsa: Low turnout in Sagbama

    Low voters’ turnout in Sagbama Ward 2, except for Gov Seriakr Dickson’s Unit 15, most units recorded abysmal turnout at the early stage.