There appeared to be marked improvements in the organisation of the Bayelsa governorship election as the poll, unlike previous ones, witnessed early voting by an enthusiastic electorate.
In many parts of Yenagoa City, electoral personnel and materials arrived early at the polling units with accreditation and voting also taking place simultaneously.
The process was largely peaceful and orderly with moderate turnout of voters in many places in the state capital.
In spite of the heavy presence of security operatives across the state, there were isolated incidents of violence and disruptions of the electoral processes in some areas.
At the Bayelsa Medical University, Yenagoa, located along Imgbi Road, Amarata, which plays host to units 52 to 57 in Ward 6, accreditation and voting went on simultaneously with some voters expressing satisfaction with the process.
The Presiding Officer in Unit 52, Hyacinth Miniku, said better organization was responsible for the early commencement of voting.
However, the transfer of some polling units from their original locations to other areas affected some voters.
An election monitor, Mr. Ono Akpe, who spoke in the morning of Saturday, said he was impressed so far with the process.
In Kolokuma-Opokuma LGA, the council area of Governor Douye Diri, accreditation and voting went on peacefully.
Candidates, stakeholders commend INEC for peaceful poll
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and incumbent governor, Douye Diri, and his wife, Gloria, cast their votes at Kalama-Owei Wari Unit 4, Ward 6 Sampou at about 8.39am, commending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for improving their facilities and training of personnel.
The governor, who spoke with newsmen shortly after voting, expressed concerns over the alleged harassment of his party members and agents from Nembe-Basambiri.
After some initial delays, accreditation and voting also took place in Brass and Nembe local government areas.
Candidate of the All Progressives Congress and former governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, voted alongside his wife, Alayingi, at his Polling Unit 4, Ward 4 at the Dukuraku open space in Okpoama, Brass LGA.
The immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources was elated to have voted but also alleged that his supporters had been attacked in parts of the state.
In Ogbia LGA, materials arrived early in Ward 9, Units 3, 12 and 39 at about 7.30am with accreditation and voting starting at 8.30am with the process generally peaceful.
In Nembe-Ogbolomabiri, INEC officials and materials arrived at about 7.30am amidst transportation challenges. Voting started at 8.30am with the former Deputy Governor of the state, Retired Rear Admiral Gborigbiogha John Jonah, expressing satisfaction with the process.
However, in Southern Ijaw LGA, the process was characterised by late arrival of materials. Accreditation and voting commenced at Ward 1 in Oporoma, headquarters of the LGA at about 12.45pm
There were reports that at about 9 a.m. at Agorogbene, Units 6, 7 and 8 in Ward 11 of the local government area, suspected thugs from a chieftain of one of the parties drove voters away and destroyed election materials as attempts by the electorate to challenge the armed men were met with heavy gunshots.
The armed thugs stormed the Registration Area Centre (RAC) and carted away election materials for five out of the seven units.
At Ogiadiama Ward 9, Unit 14, gunmen stormed the unit but were repelled by security operatives.
Also there were reports that armed thugs invaded polling units in the Sagbama LGA, shooting indiscriminately and destroying some election materials.
At Famgbe in the Yenagoa LGA, some suspected thugs loyal to the two leading political parties engaged in a gun duel that reportedly claimed the life of at least one person. There were also reported shootings around the Ekeki and Osiri areas of Yenagoa town.
Also, some yet to be identified hoodlums invaded polling units in Sagbama with heavy gunshots and hijacked election materials.
At about 9 am in Agorogbene, unit 6, 7 and 8 in Ward 11 of the local government, suspected thugs from Southern Ijaw allegedly escorted by a certain politician chased away voters and destroyed election materials.
Attempts by the electorate to challenge the armed men were replied with heavy gunshots.
Also around 9am, the armed thugs stormed the RAC center and carted away election materials for five out of the seven units.
The ward 11 leader of one of the parties was alleged to have led the armed thugs.
At Ogiadiama Ward 9 in Unit 14 of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, gunmen stormed the unit but were repelled after an emergency call to security men.
Sporadic gunshots were also reported to have been heard around the Imbikiri area of Brass Ward 2 at about 3.30am on Saturday.
At Famgbe in Yenagoa Local Government, thugs were engaged in a gun duel with security agents, with some recorded casualties.
Also, some gunmen allegedly dressed in military uniforms invaded some wards in Ogbia LGA and embarked on mass intimidation and arrest of agents and coordinators of a certain party.
The men in military uniforms, suspected to be impostors, ordered agents and electorate on election voting to leave the venue but some of them refused.
An agent of a party, told newsmen at Kolo community in Ogbia area, that “Army men just arrived in Kolo and arrested some unit coordinators and took over our pay points. We need urgent intervention, please.”
At Nembe Bassambiri, it was alleged that all the materials for the seven wards were hijacked by the gunmen attached to a certain party.
A voter said: “Up till now no materials nor INEC officials in these wards. Let the state REC do something about it.
Another agent of one of the parties had declared that “The INEC election monitors should be questioned on why the materials had not left Basambiri for the various wards.”
At Ward 10, Unit 2 of Oguama1 in Nembe, armed party members at about 11.28am stopped the voting process and demanded the serial numbers of BVAS being used for voting.
There was massive vote-buying across the state by the two main political parties as the cost per vote increased to between N8,000 to N22,000.
Most of the polling units looked like business centres with voters struggling to get money from the highest bidder before casting their votes.
Some local government areas like Sagbama, Kolokuma-Opokuma and Yenagoa witnessed a large turnout of voters, who were reportedly attracted to their polling units by cash.
PDP, military molesting voters in Bayelsa, says Sylva
The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigerian military of molesting voters in the election.
Sylva spoke after casting his vote at Polling Unit 4, Dukuraku Central Open Space, Okpoama, Ward 4, Brass Local Government Area.
Sylva said the contest appeared to be between the APC and security agents, particularly the military, which he said had taken 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 have 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 will come out victorious.
“This morning I woke up with the story of one of my APC members being shot in Yenagoa. In the afternoon, we heard that the military personnel have taken over some areas. In fact, in Biseni community the military are there to snatch ballot boxes.”
PDP’s Diri induced voters with money, says LP candidate
Labour Party governorship candidate, Udengs Eradiri, alleged that his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart and incumbent governor, Senator Douye Diri induced voters with money.
Eradiri spoke after casting his vote in Ward 10, Unit 5, Ekpetiama, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State yesterday.
The former President of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Worldwide, said it was unfortunate that the government was buying votes with state resources that should be used in improving the lives of the people of Bayelsa State.
He said: “Some of us have decided that we will embrace the non-violent approach. But behind the scene, state resources are everywhere, money is being exchanged for votes, ten, fifteen, twenty thousand and so on.
“Money that would have been used in building good schools, standard hospitals and improving the lots of the people, they are buying peoples votes.”
He also accused the ruling party of entrenching poverty in the state despite the huge resources coming into the state.
He said: “The government in power, the ruling party in the state, has entrenched poverty in a state that produces oil. Today Bayelsa is the second poorest state in the country
” And they are inducing voters with money. That is not the way to go. The people deserve better and we must change what is going on in the interest of the state.
” I will never buy votes, even if I have the money. I will never use money to induce voters because it is not in my nature. We must do things differently to change our state and our society. “
He, however, expressed delight that the election was going on smoothly in his area, saying Ekpetiama had remained a peaceful community.
NDDC boss hails INEC, describes process as peaceful
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, described the electoral process in Bayelsa as peaceful.
Ogbuku, who spoke shortly after casting his vote at unit 001 in ward 3 of Ogbia Local Government Area of the state said in spite of the initial glitches, INEC was able to put their machines in order and commended the commission for a job well done.
The NDDC MD, while expressing confidence that APC would emerge victorious, noted that information from communities around showed that the process was peaceful and warned troublemakers to stay clear of the process.
He, however, used the opportunity to assure the people of Niger Delta that he would use his office to extend the dividends of democracy to the Niger Delta states.
According to him, the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration would touch the people of Niger Delta.
PDP, Diri can’t buy votes in Bayelsa, says gov’s aide
The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Special Duties, Sinkumo Ekisah, refuted the claims that his principal and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) induced voters with money during the governorship election in the state.
Ekisah spoke at the backdrop of allegations by the Labour Party (PDP) candidate, Udengs Eradiri, that Diri was using the state’s resources to buy votes.
He said: “I don’t think you saw any money play. I am Sinkumo Ekisah and I’m known all over Bayelsa State and beyond.
“I don’t need to give anybody money to vote for my party today in politics or election because I’m known for my benevolence, free handedness and open heartedness in my dealings with people.
“So if I don’t have to give anybody money to vote, while will his Excellency, the Governor, my principal, a man of peace, give somebody to vote?
“The governor’s performance in every part of the state, his projects are all over. He had touched many lives.
“So what the LP candidate, Udengs Eradiri is saying is totally false. In fact, I don’t know if he is contesting the election.
“As a friend, I had advised him long ago. He is still a young man to support your brother, the Governor. Collapse your structure if you have any. So I call on the good people of Bayelsa to disregard such accusations. It is not true.”
Also the Special Adviser to Governor Douye Diri on Political Matters, High Chief Collins Cocodia, commended INEC for the conduct of the election saying materials arrived the polling units early.
Cocodia commended security agencies for ensuring peace across the state and observed that BVAS worked smoothly during the election.
He complained that there was massive vote-buying across the state and reiterated the need for electronic voting as the remedy for all forms of electoral malpractices.
He said: “There are no issues with the B-VAS and the security personnel did well. I commend INEC. There has been peace in many areas so far and I must say that Bayelsa people have shown their love and belief for the PDP. There is no doubt that the PDP will not just win this election, we will win by a landslide.”
A former National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabena, further described the exercise as calm and peaceful but asked members of his party to remain vigilant throughout the collation process.
He said: “In my community, the election went peacefully for now there is no problem. The people will decide at the end of the day because we as the APC went for the people who have the votes.
“The PDP was busy with litigation. They spent billions of Naira through the back door to stop our candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva from contesting this election but they failed because the judiciary did the right thing.
“That is why you can see that the PDP is jittery and I am very confident that APC will win this election despite the PDP being the government in power”
Abducted INEC official regains freedom – Official
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO), abducted on Friday, in Bayelsa has regained his freedom.
The Head of Voter Education and Publicity of the INEC in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Mr Wilfred Ifogah, confirmed the cheering news in a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday.
Ifogah said the officer is hale and hearty.
The SPO was abducted by gunmen on his way to the Registration Area Centre – 06 (Ossioma) in Sagbama Local Government Area.
He was abducted while waiting at Amassoma Jetty to board a boat to his place of deployment.
He said: “I have evidence that one of the thugs is a member of the House of Assembly.
The spokesman for the Police Command in the state, CSP Asinim Butswat, could not be reached for comments.
