The gubernatorial elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States Saturday proved critics right. The two states have a history of violence during elections. Ahead of the exercise, analysts and stakeholders had urged the political parties, candidates and their supporters to be gentlemanly in their approach to the contest.
But what transpired in the two states yesterday did not show the advice was heeded. The elections were marred by various forms of irregularities and violence that allegedly left a number of people dead and several others injured.
In Kogi, the gubernatorial poll held simultaneously with the rerun election in Kogi West Senatorial. The gubernatorial election took place across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
Three persons were reported dead while several others were injured when suspected thugs invaded Adankolo and Lokongoma Primary Schools in Lokoja. The thugs were said to have disguised themselves as policemen as they dressed in police uniform. They allegedly shot at two voters in Adankolo and one in Lokongoma when they wanted to snatch the ballot box.
In the confusion that ensued, several persons were left with various degrees of injuries. The crisis triggered voter-apathy as those waiting to cast their votes ran home for safety.
It was gathered that the election across the 21 LGA recorded massive vote-buying as voters were induced with cash ranging from N500, N1,000, N3,000 and N5,000.
It was also gathered that there was disruption of the election process at Lokoja Club Close to A Division as some fully armed thugs dressed in Police uniform invaded the polling unit to cart away the ballot box to an unknown place.
Violence was also witnessed in Crowder Memorial College, LGEA Secretariat Open Space, NEPA, LGEA Primary School Ganaja, Kabawa Area open Space, Adankolo, Open Space Miami Market all in Lokoja, forcing journalists and observers who were on ground to cover the election to scamper for safety when the armed men arrived the polling units without resistance by security agencies on ground.
In other areas in Kogi West, aside Lokoja Local Government Area, there was heavy shooting at Ayetoro ward 1 unit 004 where Dino Melaye voted.
Some observers escaped death by a whisker. Melaye, candidate of the PDP in the Kogi West Senatorial District election, claimed that the Police arrested five thugs allegedly working with an aide of the state governor.
Melaye alleged that the thugs had made confessional statements to the Police on who sent them to disrupt election in his polling unit earlier yesterday.
In a tweet on his official twitter page on Saturday afternoon, Melaye wrote: “5 of the thugs who came to disrupt election in my unit have been arrested and have made confessional statements to the fact that Sunday Faleke aide of Yahaya Bello sent them.
“One of the cars used is also in police custody. Taofik Isah was arrested and wrote a caution statement.”
Natasha Akpoti, Social Democratic Party (SDP), governorship candidate in Kogi State, accused soldiers of electoral malpractice.
Akpoti alleged that soldiers chased electorates away at the Kuroko 2 polling unit in Adavi Local Government Area of the state while allowing agents of the APC to rig freely.
She raised the alarm in a tweet, on Saturday. Akpoti tweeted: “Happening now!!! Soldiers just arrived Kuroko 2, Adavi LGA chasing people away while allowing APC agents to rig freely.”
Akpoti also decried maltreatment against the party’s agent in Kogi Central. She alleged that SDP’s agent, Bello Muhammad Sadiq was arrested, beaten and chased away from a polling unit at Kuroko 2, Kogi Central.
Our correspondent said that whereas the exercise was peaceful and efficient in some parts of the state, it was not so in some areas as there were cases of violence and ballot box snatching.
The election was said to have also witnessed a high number of the late arrival of electoral materials and intimidation of voters.
A total of 24 candidates too took part in the election.
However, the contest was essentially between the incumbent, Yahaya Bello, All Progressives Congress (APC) and Musa Wada of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
In Bayelsa, the exercise was not better as same allegations of various categories of fraud marred the poll. Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the election in Nembe and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas of the state over alleged election malpractices.
Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Douye Diri also accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of electoral fraud.
Diri who cast his vote at Kolokuma/Opokuma Ward 6 Unit 4 at Sampou at about 10.35am said reports reaching him said PDP supporters are being denied their franchise by APC thugs in Nembe, Opolo and Eniware.
Two party supporters were feared killed in Bayelsa
Trouble started when, some armed thugs appeared at units 7 and 9 in Opolo, at a time the election materials were being conveyed, preventing the Adhoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from offloading the materials.
“They said there was not going to be any election except we allowed them thump-print all for the APC. We insisted election must hold, but they started shooting and everyone became scared.
“Go there and see blood everywhere. They shot two guys who have been taken to the hospital. We don’t want to lose our lives. Since they don’t want the election in their area, we are leaving, because our lives are more important to us”, a female Corps member posted to the area (name withheld) told our reporter.
One of the locals, who identified himself as Frank, also told our reporter that the thugs were believed to be working for an opposition party as they insisted that all votes must be done in favour of the party.
He said, “The hoodlums came to Opolo near the town hall and cut the hand of one of the PDP boys and shot one in the head, they have been taken for treatment.
“The boys ran back to Udeme Hotel after their action,” saying, he believed they were lodged in a hotel belonging to a former federal lawmaker.
When our reporter visited the scene, operatives of the Nigeria Police and Department of State Services had taken over the environment, providing security for the election materials which were to be returned to INEC office, Yenagoa.
Jonathan votes after delays, laments late arrival of materials
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed disappointment over the late arrival of election materials to his polling unit, 39, in Otuoke under ward 13 of Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Jonathan, who was expected to cast his vote in the morning, met only journalists on ground, when he arrived his polling unit at about 9.30am.
Arriving the polling unit, he asked a reporter: “Are you an electoral officer?” And when the journalist replied he is a reporter, Jonathan then asked “Where are they?”
He further said, “Well, this is where I will vote, but since they are not here yet, let me go back inside. You see now, youths of nowadays, you need to do more.”
As at 10:30 am, the election materials were yet to arrive the polling unit, in ward 13, at the time of filling this report.
He expressed disappointment at the handling of the voting process in his ward.
He expressed dissatisfaction over the lateness of the arrival of voting materials at the polling unit.
Jonathan spoke to journalists after he and his wife, Patience, had voted at Unit 39, Ward 13 at the Otazi Playground, Otuoke, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that Jonathan voted at 11.30 a.m., while his wife voted at 11.35 a.m.
Ward 13 is made up of five communities of Otuoke, Otuaba, Ewoi, Otuabula 1 and Otuabula 2.
He said: “We must conduct ourselves if we want to bring real people to rule us, either as president or governors.
“Nigerians are always blaming people in authorities and the leaders; so, here, they must blame themselves.
“Look at even this voting. I was around earlier, but the materials had yet to arrive in the polling unit.
“I have led election monitoring teams to other African countries, we used to go 30 minutes before the time and in our reports, we indicated the exact time the votes started.
“So, for election to start after that time, it is an indictment to the electoral body that manages election. There is no reason why election should not start by 8:00 a.m.
“So, even the youth should stop blaming old people, you blame yourselves and do things properly.
“I am really disappointed with what I observed today, compared to other African countries where I had monitored elections.’’
Meanwhile, in Koluama in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, thugs were said to have destroyed election materials in the coastal community.
Koluama is the country home of the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Moses Cleopas and the party’s campaign director, Nimibofa Ayawei.
In Brass Island where the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva voted, correspondents said the area was calm and peaceful.
Olodi community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State was said to have burnt election materials and seized staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Reports monitored on radio quoted an INEC staff as saying that it took a lot of pleading before they were released. He did not give any reason why the community took the action.
A total of 45 political parties took part in the election to govern the oil-rich state. The contest was between David Lyon of the APC and Duoye Diri of the PDP.
Although Bayelsa has 923,182 registered voters, 889,308 (96.3 per cent) collected their permanent voters cards (PVCs) and were thus eligible to vote in the eight local government areas of the state.
SAMUEL ESE (Yenagoa) and VICTORIA NNAKAIKE, Lokoja
