– PDP supporter killed in Twon Brass
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Tension heightened in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital on Sunday as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) continues the collation of results of Saturday’s governorship election.
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had staged a protest to the INEC headquarters in Yenagoa demanding the cancellation of results
The State Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Biriyai Dambo (SAN) and the deputy director-general of the PDP campaign council, Hon Tonye Isenah led the protest demanding for the cancellation of some results in Nembe constituency three.
The protesters marched from the Peace- Park in front of Bayelsa State Government House to the INEC Headquarters and called on INEC especially the National Commissioner in charge of Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa, Mrs May Agbamuche- Mbu to ensure the results collated in Nembe are not accepted.
According to him several supporters of the PDP were denied entry into the community on Friday night to vote.
Responding to the protesters, the HOD, Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Wilfred Ifogha assured them that INEC has a system in place to detect where BVAS was not used for accreditation.
He urged them to submit an official letter to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) stating their grievances.
However there has been a counter protest in Nembe constituency three with voters rejecting calls for the cancellation of the results.
Speaking on behalf of the voters in Nembe constituency 3, the Woman leader of the party, Mrs Favour Emmanuel decried calls for the cancellation of votes in Nembe pointing out that the election in the area was peaceful, free and fair.
Also speaking Mr Asemiegha Orusakwe lamented that INEC officials conducted the election in the full glare of security agencies and wondered why it should listen to calls for cancellations which has been announced at the unit and the local government collation centre.
Meanwhile a youth leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), George Sibo has been reportedly killed at the collation centre Twon Brass, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Tension had pervaded the collation centre early Sunday morning following disagreement over where the collation of the results should hold.
While APC members insisted that it should be done in Brass which is the headquarters of the local government, PDP members argued that it should be moved to Yenagoa because of the security situation. Sources said the disagreement snow-balled into a crisis which later led to the death of Sibo.
Also INEC has raised alarm that some of its officials in Brass have been held hostage at the collation centre.
The APC had accused the PDP of putting undue pressure on INEC officials to move collation from Brass to Yenagoa.
The electoral commission had called on security agencies to help facilitate their release.