NigeriaDecides2023: INEC postpones election in 141 PUs in Bayelsa till Sunday

Sequel to violence which disrupted the conduct of Presidential and National Assembly elections in Bayelsa State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended the exercise in four wards in 141 polling units in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.

Chairman of the Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu made the disclosure on Saturday while giving newsmen an update on development across the country on the election.

The INEC Chairman who said normalcy has since returned to the affected polling units following the intervention of security agencies said he took the decision in deference to the apprehension expressed by the ad-hoc staff, who said they were not ready to return to the PUs

Yakubu also stated that the election process has continued in Imo state but admitted violence in seven local government Areas in the southeast state.

He also acknowledged violence in Lagos State. He listed Okota, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Elegushi as areas where party thugs disrupted elections.

He said:” We have been able to normalize the situation and the process is ongoing. We keep our eyes on those places.”

Giving a further update on the BVAS, Yakubu said his Commission has also lost three of the machines in Anyamelu in Anambra State.

To secure the BVAS which is also relevant and strategic to the collation of results, Yakubu said he has opened discussions with the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno.

“In a large number of polling units voting is closed and sorting and counting have commenced between now and the last briefing we have taken up a proactive step by meeting with the Inspector General of Police, the National Security Adviser, and the Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, the idea is to strengthen security as we move into the next stage of the process, which is a collation of results in locations where voting has been concluded at the polling units.

“Yes, people are targeting the BVAS but we have contingency arrangements. In all the places where BVAS were attacked, we didn’t stop the election. We have taken sufficient efforts to protect the BVAS machine because we are also using them in the next two weeks.”

The election has also been suspended in a federal constituency of Esan North, South and Igueben in Edo state.

According to the INEC boss, the election which would now hold simultaneously with Governorship and state Assembly elections on March 11 was postponed because the logo of a particular political party was missing from the ballot.

“I would also like to say that in Edo State, we had a situation that we handled yesterday, one of the parties whose logo is on the results sheet but is not on the ballot paper.
“In a meeting with the stakeholders, a decision was taken on the materials and the elections. So we have suspended the election for Esan north, south, and Igueben. The ballot papers will be reprinted and the election will now hold along with the state elections on the 11th of March. That is in the next two weeks we are determined that no Nigerian should be disenfranchised.”

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