The Independent National Electoral Commission
has postponed the State House of Assembly
election in eight of the 24 constituencies of
Bayelsa State.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner , Mr.
Baritor Kpagih, said in a statement on Friday
that the elections for the affected constituencies
would hold on Saturday, April 18, 2015.
The affected councils are Ekeremor
Constituencies 1, 2, and 3, Kolokuma/Opokuma
Constituencies 1 and 2, Sagbama Constituencies 1
and 2 and Southern Ijaw Constituency 1.
Kpagih said however that the election would hold
as scheduled in the rest 16 constituencies on
Saturday.
Curiously, the REC was silent on the reason for
the decision to postpone the election by one
week.
He simply stated that the election was shifted
because of the position of stakeholders that
election should not hold ‘without full
complements of the ballot papers.’
He said, “Following the stand of the stakeholders
that no election should take place in the State
without full complement of ballot papers, having
regard to the total PVC distributed, the State
House of Assembly election slated for Saturday,
the 11th of April, 2015, in Bayelsa State has been
rescheduled to Saturday the 18th day of April,
2015 in the following constituencies…”
It was however revealed that the political parties
and their candidates insisted on the
postponement of the election because of serious
discrepancies in the ballot papers for the
constituencies.
It was further gathered that the number of ballot
papers sent to the constituencies was inadequate.
For instance, INEC was said to have sent only
13,000 ballot papers out 27000 to Southern Ijaw
Constituency, thereby creating a short fall of
14,000 ballot papers for the election.
Also, only 5000 ballot papers were available at
the headquarters of the Ekeremor Constituency
3, for the election that was billed to be
conducted with 15,000 ballot papers.
Already, there was mounting suspicion that there
could be a covert plan to rig the election even
before it’s conduct on Saturday.
The same situation which ignited suspicion in the
various political parties, was repeated in the rest
seven affected constituencies.
6:11pm:
The Independent National Electoral Commission
in Bayelsa State has postponed elections in eight
constituencies of the state into the state House of
Assembly.
It was learnt that the election was shifted due to
“some discrepancies” noticed on the ballot
papers.
Bayelsa is one of the six states, where the
governorship election will not hold on Saturday
as the incumbent have yet to serve out their
tenure.
Other states are Osun, Ekiti, Kogi, Ondo and
Edo.
Details later…
has postponed the State House of Assembly
election in eight of the 24 constituencies of
Bayelsa State.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner , Mr.
Baritor Kpagih, said in a statement on Friday
that the elections for the affected constituencies
would hold on Saturday, April 18, 2015.
The affected councils are Ekeremor
Constituencies 1, 2, and 3, Kolokuma/Opokuma
Constituencies 1 and 2, Sagbama Constituencies 1
and 2 and Southern Ijaw Constituency 1.
Kpagih said however that the election would hold
as scheduled in the rest 16 constituencies on
Saturday.
Curiously, the REC was silent on the reason for
the decision to postpone the election by one
week.
He simply stated that the election was shifted
because of the position of stakeholders that
election should not hold ‘without full
complements of the ballot papers.’
He said, “Following the stand of the stakeholders
that no election should take place in the State
without full complement of ballot papers, having
regard to the total PVC distributed, the State
House of Assembly election slated for Saturday,
the 11th of April, 2015, in Bayelsa State has been
rescheduled to Saturday the 18th day of April,
2015 in the following constituencies…”
It was however revealed that the political parties
and their candidates insisted on the
postponement of the election because of serious
discrepancies in the ballot papers for the
constituencies.
It was further gathered that the number of ballot
papers sent to the constituencies was inadequate.
For instance, INEC was said to have sent only
13,000 ballot papers out 27000 to Southern Ijaw
Constituency, thereby creating a short fall of
14,000 ballot papers for the election.
Also, only 5000 ballot papers were available at
the headquarters of the Ekeremor Constituency
3, for the election that was billed to be
conducted with 15,000 ballot papers.
Already, there was mounting suspicion that there
could be a covert plan to rig the election even
before it’s conduct on Saturday.
The same situation which ignited suspicion in the
various political parties, was repeated in the rest
seven affected constituencies.
6:11pm:
The Independent National Electoral Commission
in Bayelsa State has postponed elections in eight
constituencies of the state into the state House of
Assembly.
It was learnt that the election was shifted due to
“some discrepancies” noticed on the ballot
papers.
Bayelsa is one of the six states, where the
governorship election will not hold on Saturday
as the incumbent have yet to serve out their
tenure.
Other states are Osun, Ekiti, Kogi, Ondo and
Edo.
Details later…
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