Bayelsa: Heavy Security presence at INEC office, as PDP protest, demand cancellation of results in Nembe LGA

Emmanuel Nlewedum, Yenagoa

There is heavy presence of security operatives at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.

This is just as over five thousand protesting members of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, from Nembe local government area stormed the INEC office demanding cancellation of results from Nembe LGA, in yesterday’s governorship election in the state.

The electoral body conducted governorship election in Bayelsa state on yesterday, November 11, 2023.

Some leaders of the protesting Nembe PDP members told our Correspondent that PDP members were disenfranchised and chased out of their communities in Nembe LGA, during Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

One of the leaders of the protesters and Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Iti Orugbani said electoral materials for Bassambiri and other Nembe communities were hijacked.

Orugbani who said members and supporters of the PDP were prevented from entering the community to vote called for the cancellation of results in affected areas.

“All electoral materials meant for wards 11, 12 and 13 in Nembe constituency 2 were diverted. I went home to vote but I couldn’t vote because no material.

“When we wanted to enter Bassambiri, they didn’t allow us. PDP members in Bassambiri were not allowed to vote. APC thugs barricaded our materials, thumb printed our materials in various units there and uploaded it, while our people did not see the materials.

“We are calling on INEC to cancel this result. INEC knows that there was no election in the wards of Nembe constituency 2,” he said.

Another PDP Chieftain in the Nembe LGA, Chief Walter said, “there was no election in 7 wards in the Bassambiri axis of Nembe LGA, they includes; wards 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12 and 13.

“We went to our community on Friday to vote but getting to the entrance, we met SWATS and APC thugs at the entrance, they chased us back at gunpoint. They didn’t allow us to enter. And since that day, we have been reporting to authorities since that day to the election day. They didn’t distribute the materials to all the riverine wards in our area. We are calling for outright cancellation of the exercise.”