- Saraki laments violence
…We acted within the law – Police
From Femi Folaranmi & Molly Kilete, Yenagoa
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday declared Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson winner of the Bayelsa State governorship election. There was a rerun in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and 101 polling units in six other councils on January 9, 2016.
Dickson, who was leading his closest rival, Chief Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 33,000 votes winning in six of the seven local government areas in the results declared inconclusive after the December 5, 2015 election, extended his lead in the six councils in the supplementary election.
In the result, Dickson still cleared the votes in the supplementary election in Nembe, Yenagoa, Ekeremor, Ogbia, Sagbama local government areas and lost in Brass where the APC polled 1,657 while PDP got five votes.
In Southern Ijaw with 120,827 registered voters and 35,594 accredited voters, in 17 wards, Dickson polled 23,081 to defeat Sylva who scored 10216.
No fewer than 120 units in 14 wards with 39679 votes were cancelled due to snatching of ballot boxes, over-voting and non-use of card reader.
The Returning Officer, Prof Zana Akpagu, announced that Dickson having satisfied the constitutional requirement by scoring the highest number of votes of 134 998 against his closest rival, Sylva, who scored 86 852, has been declared winner and returned elected.
The announcement of the final results started at exactly 6.35pm when INEC officials came into the hall with the result sheets.
The long delay was said to be as a result of the non-availability of INEC, official stamp to stamp the result sheets.
INEC officials who confided in Daily Sun spoke of the dangers of submitting result sheets without the organisation’s official stamp.
The officials who do not want to be mentioned in print, said submitting such result sheets amounts to INEC declaring a fake result which would not be taken lightly by all the parties involved.
“With what is going on about allegation and counter-allegations that we are supporting one particular candidate, this will be the highest risk to take, so we had to contact one of our staff who had already closed for the day to get the stamp and take to the office which he did,” the sources told Daily Sun.
Meanwhile, Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki last night lamented the reports of violence and deaths trailing the exercise.
Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu in Abuja, said it was unacceptable that an election meant to produce a governor for the state was turned into a theatre of warfare with attendant loss of lives and destruction of property.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), who supervised the re-run, Mr. Saleh Arugungu, said yesterday that the police force acted within the law in carrying out its duty.
Argungu, who is also in charge of training and development at the police Force Headquarters, Abuja, commended the role played by the military/ paramilitary and the various security agencies for the successful conduct of the rerun which took place in 527 polling units in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA).
He denied reports of alleged killings of innocent persons in some parts of the state during the election including security operatives and challenged those spreading the rumours, especially supposed bereaved families to come out with proof of evidence.
He also faulted reports of outbreak of violence in some parts of the state where the supplementary elections took place.
The DIG, who disclosed these to Daily Sun, in Yenagoa, attributed the successes of the smooth conduct of the elections to proper planning and coordination by security agencies.
Argungu, while exonerating the police and security agents of any form of bias and favoritism to any of the contestants, said, “as far as I know, we acted within the law and and professionally too, all our action is in line with the rules of engagement as enshrined in the United Nations resolution, the Nigerian constitution and with our force order.
“I am just hearing from you now that 14 people were killed. Some people said seven, others said eight, but up till now, nobody has brought a single complaint to the police, it’s just been rumour, rumour, and rumours which will not take us any where,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Peter Ogunyanwo, said five persons have been arrested for alleged electoral violence.
Ogunyanwo also said two others who were injured, have been hospitalised.
The commissioner, who described the conduct of the election as fair and devoid of the much anticipated violence, said two out of the five suspects were arrested at Ogbia, while the remaining three were picked up at Fangbe in Yenagoa Local Government Area.
Also, an election observer group, the Centre For Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness, has petitioned INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and Resident Commissioner in the state, Mr. Baritor Kpagi, over alleged cases of malpractice ranging from ballot snatching and outright denial of some sections of the electorates in Southern Ijaw and six other local government areas in the re-run.