It's Rape of Democracy to Decalre Bayelsa Polls Inconclusive Again - Sylva Fires at INEC

Bayelsa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mr. Baritor Kpagih, on Monday, December 7 canceled and suspended indefinitely, gubernatorial election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

 

This came on the heels of allegations of irregularities, violence, use of thugs and military might by both the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC.

 

The REC said a new date would be announced for the conduct of the election in the troubled area.

 

Kpagih, while announcing the cancellation, said the poll was characterised by political violence and rigging beyond internationally acceptable standard as monitored by foreign and local observers.

 

Briefing reporters in Yenagoa, Mr. Kpagih, said the Commission had decided to reschedule the election till a later date, although, he did not announce the new date. Before the cancellation of Southern Ijaw Local Government result, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had collated and announced results in seven other local governments, including Yenagoa, Brass, Nembe and Sagbama, Kolokuma/ Opokuma and Ogbia.

 

Incumbent governor and candidate of the PDP, Seriake Dickson, was leading in six out of the seven local governments, while the candidate of APC, Timipre Sylva, leads in one local government.

 

According to INEC, APC scored 72,595 votes, PDP, 105,748 votes and KOWA 13 votes, PDM, 1,422 and Labour Party, 70 votes.

 

But in a swift reaction, APC gubernatorial candidate, Chief Timipreye Sylva, said such decision was unacceptable, adding that the REC has no power to cancel an election that had already been conducted.

 

Sylva, who addressed a press conference, said APC would reject the decision of the Resident Commissioner, describing it as 'a rape of democracy and unacceptable.'

 

He also said the party would probably go to court if there was any need for that, to redress the anomalies and reclaim his mandate.

 

While rejecting the decision, the former governor queried the rationale behind the move to cancel election results in some places where APC was leading and allowing electoral malpractices to go on in PDP dominated areas.

 

He said most of the complaints and protests of the party, no matter how genuine, was like a candle in the wind, just as he fingered former President Goodluck Jonathan, for inducing voters at the last minute with huge amount of money.