NASS ELECTION: ONE SHOT DEAD, SENATORIAL CANDIDATE WANTED

Hijack of election materials, pockets of violence and disenfranchisement of voters was recorded at the conduct of the National Assembly election in most parts of Bayelsa state.

Accreditation in many parts of the state stated earlier as the Independence National Electoral Commission ensured that materials were distributed because of the river terrain of the state still other parts never got materials till the end of the exercise.

In Sagbama ward eleven, no senate materials were made available while where over seven hundred materials were needed only a hundred ballot papers was provided and also in a nearby unit in ward six no single material was available.

Ekeremor Local Government Area which earlier in the botched election had about three persons killed was another zone where supporters of the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) traded blames over hijacked of election materials by unknown desperate politicians.

Information reaching us has it that a serving senator of the state under the platform of the PDP representing Ekeremor/ Sagbama, Hon. Heineken Lokpobiri perpetrated the unfortunate situation of commandeering corps members and elections materials to his house for manupilations.

In Brass, the case was not different, one person was confirmed dead from a stray bullet, an alleged attempt by a top politician to overrun the INEC office by supporters of some political parties but was repelled by men of the Joint Task Force, and a polling officer in the area stated that election materials were hijacked by unknown persons.

In Southern- Ijaw Local Government Area, Ex-militants were said to have hijacked election materials, especially result sheets from Olugbobiri and Oporoma where all manipulation was done without any eligible voters.

In Amasoma, result sheets were hijacked by unknown persons with the connivance of INEC officials in the area which was later revealed when the officials were arrested through the instruction of the former governor of the state.

Meanwhile the president of the federal republic of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, earlier vowed that the elections would be smooth and the votes of every Nigerian must count, declaring that attempts by desperate politicians in the country to derail the 2011 elections would fail.

Jonathan who spoke in company of his wife, Dame Patience and mother completed the accreditation process under few minutes at the Otazi play ground, polling unit 13 and came back to vote at 12.10pm, stated that the explosion in Suleja, Niger state was the handiwork of those who do not want the 2011 elections to succeed.

He maintained that the occurrence of explosion in Suleja after the one that was detonated during the PDP rally was an indication that a cell of anti-social elements are in the area, adding that the federal government would comb the area and fish them out.

According to the Labour Party gubernatorial candidate of the state, Ndutimi Alaibe, stated that its quiet sad in this time and age when a reasonable voters accreditation exercise was conducted still people still believe in the past election process of rigging.

Alaibe who stated this at Igbainwari town square, polling unit 14, Opokuma North after he exercised his voter’s right, maintained that it is a sad situation where people make their homes as polling unit and disenfranchise the people’s right of chosen their leaders.

He also promised that those who perpetrated those acts will be pursued to the point where they will be apprehended. “We won’t condole that act, whether they are security agents, INEC officials or government officials they must be prosecuted.