Politics Today

 

Card readers deployed for the Bayelsa State governorship election failed in many polling units across the state, foreign observers have revealed.

The foreign observers group, under the auspices of the International Republican Institute and the African Union, made this known in Yenagoa on Thursday during a news conference on their findings during the Bayelsa governorship poll and the supplementary election.

The Leader of the Foreign Observers Team in Bayelsa, Ms. Yvonne Hudson, said the group recruited over 250 domestic observers who observed the election in the eight local government areas.

She said like other elections they had observed in other countries, the Bayelsa governorship poll also had its peculiar challenges.

Hudson classified their observations into pre-election, Election Day and post-election.

On pre-election, she said the behaviour of the supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party on the night before the election towards an All Progressives Congress agent at Yenagoa INEC office was not in line with the aim of obtaining peaceful and creditable election.

On Election Day observation, Hudson claimed that materials arrived at many polling units early for the election, which ensured that accreditation commenced early.

She added, “Card readers failed in many polling units we visited. Voters’ attendance was not so impressive, having known the total registered voters to be 654,492.

“There was relative calmness in some local government areas except Brass town, Nembe (Bassambiri) and Southern Ijaw, which was cancelled due to perceived violence recorded on Election Day.

“There were incidences of violence and destruction of houses and property at Ekeremor, Brass, Nembe-Bassambiri and Korokorosei (Southern Ijaw) on Election Day.

She recommended that the recruitment of ad hoc staff by the Independent National Electoral Commission should be revisited, saying its recruitment should be based on maturity and experience.

Hudson asked the Federal Government to use the services of the Nigerian Air Force to provide helicopters to distribute materials for elections to avoid diversion of materials by thugs.

She added, “The use of card readers should be continued because from our observation, it checked excesses.

“The new strategy of accreditation and voting at the same time should be encouraged in all elections in Nigeria because it reduces time wasting.

“The Federal Government and INEC should involve the Nigerian Navy more on elections in riverside states.”

She noted that the violence observed during the election was not widespread but pockets of violence at some units, especially before and during the December 5, 2015 governorship election.

Meanwhile, Governor Seriake Dickson on Thursday received his Certificate of Return as governor-elect for the second term from INEC.

The Certificate of Return was presented to him at a ceremony at the state’s INEC office in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, by the Supervising National Commissioner, South-South, Mr. Mustapha Leki.

The event was attended by Dickson, his wife, Rachel; his deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd.); acting state Chairman of the PDP, Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff; the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Baritor Kpagih, and top officials of government.

The governor-elect commended INEC, security operatives and all stakeholders for the success of the election in the state.

Punch