Bayelsa Governor and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Candidate, Douye Diri, has won five out of the six local government areas’ results so far declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) amid protest by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The results of the governorship election, which started on Saturday, are being collated at the INEC head office in Yenagoa by the state Collation Officer, Prof. Kuta Farouk, who is the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna.
Diri has so far won Kolokuma-Opokuma, Yenagoa, Ogbia, Sagbama and Ekeremor while his closest rival, Chief Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won Nembe Local Government Area.
The collation was adjourned till 12noon on Monday to announce results from two remaining local government areas of Brass and Southern Ijaw.
INEC announced that there were issues with Brass and Southern Ijaw councils adding that collation for.some areas in Brass had been brought to Yenagoa.
The commission added that in Southern Ijaw election continued in some wards on Sunday morning insisting that the results would be ready for collation on Monday.
Diri has so far garnered 137,909 votes in the six LGAs announced to defeat Sylva, who polled 68,154 votes while Udengs Eradiri of Labour Party came a distant third with 703 votes.
But the collation centre was charged following the protest by the APC agent, Dennis Otiotio, who complained that 27,968 votes scored by APC in Nembe were cancelled by the local government area collation officers.
He said acting on the directive of the REC, the LGA officer cancelled results collated in four wards of Nembe.
Otiotio insisted that the officer acted illegally as he had no right to cancel results already collated at the units and wards of any local council already posted to the I-REV.
He complained that the collation of results of all LGAs won by APC were forcefully moved to the INEC office in Yenagoa while areas won by the PDP were collated at the ward levels.
Otiotio held to his grounds that the disposition of the state collation Officer suggested that he did not want the APC agent at the collation centre.
But Prof. Farouk took exception to the comments and clarified that he only wanted all agents to document their complaints officially insisting that the centre had no power to resolve their issues.
The agent of the PDP, Chief Talford Ongolo, countered Otiotio saying the REC had the power to cancel collated results in areas marred by violence, bypass of the BVAs and abduction of INEC officials.
Tension had built up around the head office of INEC immediately the commission concluded preparation to begin collation of results.
Supporters, loyalists and members of the PDP stormed the area in their numbers to protest results from some local government areas where they claimed there was no election.
The protesters blocked the Swali Road leading to INEC office to stop the commission from accepting the results of Nembe Bassambiri, which they claimed were manipulated.
Bayelsa Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Dambo Biriyai, (SAN), alleged that election did not take place in Nembe Bassambiri.
He called on INEC REC in the state, Mr Obo Effanga, and Southsouth Commissioner for INEC May Agbamuche-Mbu to reject the results.
He claimed that PDP members, who visited their country home of Bassambiri, were prevented entry by the combined team of the police and APC thugs.
The development led to massive deployment of armed security operatives around the INEC office.
Over four Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) belonging to the military and the police were used to block the entrance of the Swali Road.
The armed operatives vigilantly watched the area and prevented people without genuine business from entering the INEC office.
But the supporters of Diri kept vigil around the INEC office refusing to leave the area.
Some deadly-looking youths were seen moving around the INEC office but were not allowed by the security agents to enter the commission’s premises.
Diri’s supporters danced to the song wafting from huge speakers installed in one of the governor’s campaign vehicle.
Matters took a twist when a truck drove into the area with hundreds of plastic chairs for the fatigued protesters to sit down and continue to occupy the area.
Despite the announcement that collation would continue the next day, the protesters, who were majorly youths continue to occupy the road.
Diri won his Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area scoring 18,465 votes against his closest rival of the APC, Chief Timipre Sylva, who got 5349 while Labour Party (LP) had 22.
In Ogbia, the LGA of former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Diri won with a small margin.
The goyvernor got 18,435 votes against Sylva, who polled 16,319 and Udengs Eradiri of the LP, who scored 57 votes.
In Yenagoa Local Government Area, Diri won with a wide margin scoring 37,777 votes against Sylva, who got 14,534 and Eradiri, who polled 244 votes.
In Sagbama, the Local Government Area of former Governor Seriake Dickson and the incumbent Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewrujakpor, Diri won massively with 35,504 while Sylva got 6,600 and Eradiri 217 votes.
But Sylva won his maternal Nembe Local Government Area with wide margin of 22,248 while Diri got 4,556 and LP 113.
But in Ekeremor, the LGA of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, the PDP Diri won with 23,172 to beat Sylva, who got 8,445 votes and LP that polled 50.
