#BayelsaDecides: Controversy as Gov. Dickson Storms INEC Collation Centre in Southern Ijaw

Posted by George on Sun 06th Dec, 2015 - tori.ng

As the Bayelsa state gubernatorial election gathers momentum, Gov. Seriake Dickson has been accused of storming into the collation centre of INEC which is against the law.

Seriake Dickson

The Governor of Bayelsa State and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Seriake Dickson on Sunday morning, reportedly forced his way into the collation centre of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Onopa, Yenagoa LGA according the Nation.

The Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation (SICO) said Dickson stormed the place at about 11pm Saturday night and threatened to ‘deal seriously’ with agents of the APC, Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, former Deputy Governor and Fortune Panebi, State Publicity Secretary of the APC.

SICO’s Director, Media and Publicity, Chief Nathan Egba said the action of Dickson was clearly against the electoral law as he had no authority as a candidate to go to the Yenagoa Collation Centre especially as he was not from the LGA.

He alleged that the governor, who threatened to deal with the two APC agents, was at the collation centre to manipulate results being collated from different wards in Yenagoa.

He said: “The APC agents were said to have countered the moves by the PDP to manipulate the results that had been turned-in before some aides to the Governor alerted him of the developments at the Yenagoa Collation centre.

“The APC decided to raise the alarm and place the information in the public domain as the Governor’s desperation in the face of imminent defeat is such that he is ready all electoral laws”, he said.

He said fresh reports further indicated that the governor early morning in Sunday led a large delegation to Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, to protest against the rescheduled election.