Tension as Bayelsa APC supporters protest poll cancellation

Dickson, Sylva

Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Hundreds of aggrieved supporters of the All Progressives Congress on Wednesday threw Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, into pandemonium as they protested the cancellation of the result of the state governorship election from the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

The protesters, comprising youths, women and persons with disabilities, gathered at the party secretariat in Yenagoa, from where they marched to the state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission on Swali Road.

As the angry protesters trekked about four kilometres to the INEC headquarters in the state, the entire Yenagoa metropolis had a full dose of gridlock, which virtually locked down the metropolis.

Onlookers and residents joined them in the demonstration as the protesters, who were under the cover of riot policemen, sang solidarity and war songs as they made their way through Yenagoa-Mbiama Road, via Imgbi road, en route the INEC office.

When they got to the INEC office, they were however prevented from entering into the premises by scores of security operatives that mounted guard at the entrance of the electoral agency.

The protesters were asked to maintain peace and order and wait outside the premises before they could be attended to by INEC officials.

The protesters were unanimous in their request, “INEC, give us our votes in Southern Ijaw and declare our leader and candidate of the APC, Chief Timipre Sylva, the governor-elect.”

They accused the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Baritor Kpagih, of fraud, saying he subverted the collective will of the electorate.

They said the REC cancelled the Southern Ijaw election, which results had already been collated, but waiting for announcement as Sylva won in SILGA by a landslide.

They vowed that hell would be let loose if INEC failed to announce the poll results as they were and return Sylva as the governor-elect of Bayelsa.

The protesters said INEC must declare the Southern Ijaw results or also cancel the results of Ekeremor, Sagbama and Yenagoa, which they claimed were marred by violence and irregularities.

The protesters further demanded the sacking of the REC, alleging that he was a bad influence and an election rigger.

The protesters, who conducted their demonstration peacefully, brandished banners and placards with inscriptions such as, “The Resident Electoral Commissioner does not have the power to cancel an election already declared by the returning officer,” “INEC must disqualify Governor Seriake Dickson for personally moving to Southern Ijaw to order violent attacks on APC members.”

Others bore the inscriptions such as “Mr. Baritor Kpagih, INEC REC should be sacked,” “We demand INEC to declare the Southern Ijaw results”, “Bayelsans reject the cancellation of Southern Ijaw results,” and “Ijaw people reject and also say no to dictatorial and draconian leadership of Dickson.”

Speaking on behalf of the protesting party faithful, a chieftain of the APC, Mr. Famous Danaumougha, said they had come to send a message to the commission that election was conducted in Southern Ijaw and that the results should be announced.

He said the APC was leading in that election, wondering why INEC refused to announce the results.

He said the INEC officer that cancelled the results had no reason to do so, as the election results had been collated for announcement.

“The REC was too much in a hurry to cancel that election. If it had been the Returning Officer, we would not have raised an eyebrow. The REC was so biased. We demand the announcement of that result,” he said.

He said their appeal was very simple, the results should be announced to avoid escalation of crisis in the state.

Another speaker for the protesters, Mr. Egba Alfred, a former member of Bayelsa State House of Assembly, said INEC must, without hesitation, announce the SILGA results, which he claimed the APC won overwhelmingly.

“Our message is simple: the APC had 25 per cent of the six LGAs that were declared, and SILGA that the APC won round and square was cancelled. This is unacceptable. INEC has no power to cancel election that has been collated,” Alfred said.

Responding amidst the grievance of the protesters, INEC Head of Operations, Mr. O. Victor, told them that their grievances had been understood and that he would transmit them to the relevant authorities.

He told them that the REC would have been there personally to address them but for his trip to the INEC national headquarters in Abuja.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, Bayelsa State, has described the protest as the APC’s plan to unleash mayhem through violent activities to trigger the declaration of a state of emergency.

The Director, RCO, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, urged the people of the state to take utmost precaution to steer clear of the protesters and guard against any form of molestation.

He pointed out that the aim of the protest was to create violence and disrupt the peace of the state to compel the APC-led Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on Bayelsa.

The development, he noted, would make it impossible for INEC to hold the rescheduled election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and create a stalemate until such a time that Dickson’s term in office would have expired.

Obuebite said, “We are calling on Bayelsans, particularly business/shop owners, to beware of these protests.”