The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the postponement of the final collation of the governorship election results in Bayelsa State to 12 noon on Monday 13th November 2023.
INEC returning officer for the state, Professor Farouk Kuta disclosed this on Sunday night while briefing reporters at the state headquarters of the commission in Yenagoa.
Kuta, a Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, said that the commission is not sure if the results of two Local Government Areas would arrive before midnight.
“However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won five out of the six local government areas officially announced by the commission on Sunday, while the All Progressive Congress (APC) won only one local government in the Bayelsa State.
“The local government areas so far announced are Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Ogbia, Sagbama, Nembe, and Ekeremor while the results from Brass and Southern Ijaw LGA are yet to be declared before INEC suspends its collation.
“According to the results announced so far, PDP scored 37,777 votes, while APC got 14,534 votes in Yenagoa while in Kolokuma/Opokuma PDP got 18,465 votes and APC got 5349 votes.
“Also, the PDP polled 18,435 votes in Ogbia while APC scored 16,319 votes; PDP secured 35,504 votes in Sagbama with APC having 6608 votes; PDP had 23,172 votes in Ekeremor, APC scored 8445 while in Nembe, APC polled 22,248 votes while PDP got 4556 votes.
From the already declared results in the 6 local government areas, the PDP is leading with 137,909 votes, followed by the APC with 73,503 and Labour Party coming third with 704 votes.
“The results from Brass and Southern Ijaw local government areas will be announced once the collation centre reconvenes by 6pm.”
Addressing newsmen an interview, the state chairman and party agent of APC, Dennis Otiotio frowned at the cancellation of ward 11, ward 12 and ward 13 in the Nembe local government area which he described as the APC strongholds.
“In Nembe local government area is the stronghold of APC, the collation was moved from Nembe to the INEC headquarters here. In Brass, INEC is insisting that the collation be moved to the state headquarters of INEC. In Southern Ijaw, they are insisting that the collation should be moved to the state headquarters.
“Brass is where our governorship candidate comes from, Southern Ijaw is where our deputy governorship candidate comes from. We are very skeptical that something is wrong and it has just played out itself.
“The 13 wards in Nembe, elections was conducted peacefully without any problem. The resident electoral commissioner was posted to Nembe, and the commissioner of police was posted to Nembe and other security agencies.
“There was no issue, there was no problem and now after the results have been uploaded on the IREV and now the local government collation officer is saying that he is cancelling ward 11, ward 12 and Ward 13.
“With the way things are going, I am afraid that they might even go ahead and cancel wards in Brass and Southern Ijaw. These are our strongholds. The party will look at the situation and take the necessary action,” Otiotio said.
