The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had closed voting in all polling units in the Saturday Bayelsa and Kogi elections at about 8:00 pm.
INEC said it had deployed staff and materials in 4,352 polling units in the two States for the Governorship elections, Kogi West Senatorial rerun election and Brass I State Constituency supplementary election in Bayelsa State.
According to the Commission, National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners and other staff were also deployed to monitor and supervise the elections and these field officers are regularly submitting real-time reports to the Commission on developments in the field.
Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja said, the Commission was carefully monitoring the processes.
Okoye stated that reports from accredited observers and officials in the field indicate that most voters who were willing to vote had the opportunity to do so as the Commission delivered materials to its two State offices in good time and made adequate preparations for the movement of staff and materials to the various voting locations.
He said, “unfortunately, however, despite all the efforts of the Commission and the promises of the political parties to promote peaceful elections, including several engagements with stakeholders and signing of Peace Accords, there are reports indicating that the process was in several places affected by thuggery and violence.
“The Commission unequivocally condemns. We are still receiving, collating and evaluating these reports as we move into the critical phase of result collation”.
The INEC Chief Spokesman disclosed that, “results will be collated at Registration Areas, Local Government Areas and State levels. Staff of the Commission are ready to receive these results and stakeholders are advised to keep to their commitments to ensure peaceful conduct.
“All electoral officials are reminded of the oath of neutrality they subscribed to. The security agencies have been supportive so far, in the face of many challenges. The Commission calls on them to be even more vigilant at this critical juncture of result collation.
“Finally, the Commission calls on the general public to remain calm, while assuring voters in the two States of the resolve of the Commission to ensure that the elections are concluded fairly and credibly”.
