Bayelsa Poll: Gov. Dickson In Clear Lead, Wins 4 LGs In 5 Declared, See Results

The incumbent Gov. Seriake Dickson is currently leading in results of five local government declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission in the Bayelsa State governorship election. He has already polled a total vote of 81,929.

Dickson is closely being pursued by the All Progressives Congress, APC, standard bearer and immediate past governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, who got 56,514 votes.

So far, results from 28 polling units in the five councils were canceled due to electoral skirmishes, over-voting, malfunctioning card readers and violence.

While Dickson won in four of the five councils, Sylva had the upper hand in the battle for Brass, his local council. The councils that Dickson won were Sagbama, Yenagoa, Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma.

Official announcement of the results will continues today at 10 am. The remaining councils are Ogbia, Nembe and Southern Ijaw.

This came as the PDP alleged, yesterday, that the APC perpetrated violence in Southern Ijaw area of the state and was plotting to manipulate the outcome of the exercise to its favour.

Dickson wins in Sagbama, Yenagoa, Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma

In Sagbama Local Council, which has 14 wards and where Governor Dickson hails from, the PDP had the upper hand.

Out of the 35,647 valid votes, the PDP got 28,934, the APC scored 5,382 while the PDM got 406 votes.

According to the Collation Officer, Mr. Perekeme Bertola, a lecturer at the Niger Delta University, NDU, results from six polling units at Asamabiri were cancelled due to alleged malfunctioning card reader and electoral violence.

Total registered voters in the council stands at 84,550; accredited voters are 36,892 and 726 votes were voided

Dickson also won in Yenagoa, the state capital with 24,258  votes while Sylva got 14,563 votes. The PDM polled 451 votes.

However, results from 16 polling units were cancelled due to snatching of election materials, violence and intimidation of electoral personnel, according to the Collation Officer, Mr Victor Torupele, a lecturer at NDU.

Total registered voters in the council is135,025; Valid votes, 40,041; void votes 1710; accredited voters 44,751 and  total votes cast 41,751.

For Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Council, the results are: PDP, 7,619; Apc, 6,896 and PDM, 137 as announced by the Returning Officer, Mr Aniekwe James, senior staff of Federal University Otuoke.

Sylva wins Brass

Sylva carried the day in his Local Council, Brass, carting away 21,755 votes compared to Dickson’s 6,516. The PDM had 222 votes.

The Acting chairman of the state PDP, Serena Dokubo-Spiff is also from Brass, which has 10 wards.

According to the Collation Officer, Dr D Tambo, results from six units in ward 1 were cancelled due to alleged electoral skirmishes and over voting.

Total registered voters in the council is 55,923 of which 30,397 voters were accredited. Total valid votes is 28,616 and 592 votes voided.

The ruling PDP won the tough battle for Ekeremor Local Council, which has 12 wards. Ekeremor is the local government area of the Minister of State for Agriculture and Director General of the Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as well as Fred Agbedi, the Director General of the Restoration Campaign Organisation of the PDP candidate.

Breakdown of the votes scored by the political parties, according to the Collation officer, Dr. Johnson Dagana  of the  Open University of Nigeria, Yenagoa Study Centre are as follows: PDP, 14,602; APC 7,918; ACPN 7;  ADC 5; APA 35;  APGA 8; CPP 3; DPC 5; DPP 9; NP 4; MPP 1; NNPP 4; PDC 3; PDM 44; PPA 15; and UPP 1.

Total registered voters is 82,783 out of which 24,667 were accredited voters. Total valid votes recorded was 22,664 and 634 votes voided.

Delay is plot to rig — PDP

The PDP, yesterday, protested the delay in releasing the official result of the governorship election in seven out of the eight local councils of Bayelsa State.

The PDP alleged that the APC was planning to upturn its victory at the polls.

This came as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) Mr. Moses Siasia, said the exercise was fraught with irregularities, especially financial inducement and illegal thumb printing of ballot papers.

Siasia called for the disqualification of parties and candidates allegedly involved in such irregularities.

Also, two commissioners of police, Brigade Commander, Battalion Commander and a Deputy Commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were yesterday deployed to Southern Ijaw Local Council to ensure the safety of lives and property.

State Chairman of the PDP, Chief David Serena Dokubo-Spiff; the National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dr.Cairo Ojougbo and the Senator representing Bayelsa West, Senator Foster Ogola, at a briefing in Yenagoa said the delay in the declaration of results was part of the plot to rig the exercise in favour of the APC.

According to Dokubo-Spiff, investigation by the PDP showed that the processes of planned manipulation had commenced.

He also accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr. Barito Pagih of partisanship.

He declared that the National Working Committee and State Executive Committee of the PDP had resolved to resist any attempt to manipulate the outcome of the poll.

His words: “We have our results and it shows clearly that we have won seven out of the eight local government councils. Instead of staying here in Yenagoa and monitor the election, the APC standard bearer is in Abuja having meetings with some officials of the Federal Government on how to manipulate the poll. Enough is enough. We will no longer tolerate the effrontery of the APC.

“Our party wants to register our concern about the conduct of the election in Southern Ijaw. In spite of the fact that the security of lives have not been adequately taken care of, the INEC went on.

“For emphasis, the orgy of violence, perpetrated by the APC thugs in the full glare of security agents resulted in the loss of lives of Bayelsa people. They shot dead five persons in their desperation for power.

“The majority of the indigenes of Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw and other communities, are still taking refuge in the forests and swamps as a result of the heavy gunfire.”

He also claimed to have escaped unhurt in the hands of armed thugs during the exercise  in Twon Brass, Brass Local Government Area.

Disqualify parties involved in electoral irregularities—Siaisia

On his part, Siasia in a statement by his media aide Mr. Michael Abimboye, said: “No election took place in Bayelsa State. It was political bazaar. INEC should immediately look into this and commence disqualification of political parties involved in the financial inducement and other electoral irregularities.

“I am also using this opportunity to call on the security agencies to do something about it immediately. I don’t believe that with the level of commitment we got from the INEC Chairman, this kind of irregularities took place.

“I saw some government officials with large number of PVCs on election day. What where they doing with such a large number of PVCs? For government officials to have large number of PVCs, then the election cannot stand.

“Security agencies should do their own investigation and bring such persons to book because I believe they contravened the Electoral Act. We must ensure that such kind of people are taught the lessons of their lives.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Hashimu Argugun, at media briefing in Yenagoa, described as untrue the claim that some persons lost their lives in Oporoma.

He said: “The report that some people were killed cannot be confirmed as corpses of the purported dead persons cannot be traced and their particulars could not be obtained from any source.

“Information at my disposal is that there was no death in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.”

Vanguard News

Kogi: Why I Can't Be Deputy To Bello - Faleke Blow Hot, Audu's Son Too As APC Peace Moves Crumble

ABIODUN FALEKE

The Peace moves by All Progressives Congress, APC to amicably resolve the internal crisis rocking the party in Kogi State over the choice of Mr. Yahaya Bello following the death of Prince Abubakar Audu had crumbled, Punch News reported.

Mr. James Abiodun Faleke who was running mate to Late Audu was also reported to have been maintained by the party as the deputy to the new party

Bello In Secret Pact With Late Audu's Supporters As APC Sets To Formally Unveil Him Tomorrow

Alhaji Yahaya Bello, whose name the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) National Working Committee (NWC) has forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as replacement for the late Prince Abubakar Audu in Kogi State Governorship election, has made overtures to the late politician’s loyalists and urged them to support him in the supplementary election.

A staunch member of Prince Audu’s Campaign Organisation who attended a late night meeting with Alhaji Bello on Friday told our reporters that the

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Punch News - The All Progressives Congress’ decision to pick Yahaya Bello as a replacement for its governorship candidate in Kogi State, the late Abubakar Audu, has led to violent protests in the state.

A newspaper had on Saturday reported that the APC had picked Bello as a substitute for Audu, who died on Sunday shortly after the Independent National Electoral

THE UNTOLD: The Misery Death That Killed My Father; 'The Poison', His Last Wish - Abubakar Audu's Son

LATE ABUBAKAR AUDU

Mustapha Audu, the sixth son of the late All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu has given details of how the Kogi legend passed on, soon after the elections were held, declaring that it was unthinkable to hang on to the illusion that his father was killed by anyone.

Audu passed on last Sun­day, shortly before the Inde­pendent National Electoral Commission announced the outcome of the election in which

PDP Kicks Over APC's Primary To Replace Dead Audu

Late Prince Abubakar Audu

Fresh legal and political firestorm in Kogi State has ensued following the resolved of the winning and ruling All Progressives Congress, APC planned Primary Election to replace late Prince Abubakar Audu after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, invited the party to forward a replacement in the inconclusive Kogi State governorship election.

The INEC decision followed a pronouncement to that effect by the Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami. While the APC welcomed the decision, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP demanded Malami’s resignation as it described the decision as an affront to democracy laced with mines to torpedo the democratic choice of the people in Kogi State.

The PDP has, however, asked the AGF to immediately resign from office over his position on the inconclusive governorship election in Kogi State.

The former ruling party also called on INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to resign from office for what it described as his inability to exert the autonomy of the commission in the face of the confusion created by Audu’s death.

The party said the position of the minister compelled INEC to arrive at what it described as an unconstitutional decision to allow the APC to substitute its candidate for the proposed supplementary governorship election.

PDP said this in its reaction to the decision of INEC to allow the APC to replace Audu with a fresh candidate and also to fix December 5 for the conduct of the supplementary election.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, in Abuja on Tuesday, said the opposition party had summoned an emergency national caucus meeting of the PDP to deliberate on the matter.

He said, “The party is shocked that INEC, a supposedly independent electoral umpire, could allow itself to succumb to the antics of the APC by following the unlawful directive of an obviously partisan AGF to substitute a candidate in the middle of the ballot process.

“We are all aware that the two legal documents guiding INEC in the conduct of elections – the Constitution and the Electoral Act – have provisions for electoral exigencies as well as empower the electoral body to fully take responsibility for any of its actions or inaction without undue interference from any quarters whatsoever.

“We are therefore at a loss as to which sections of these two relevant laws INEC and the AGF relied on in arriving at their bizarre decision to substitute a dead candidate in an ongoing election even after the timeline for such has elapsed under all the rules.

“INEC, as a statutory body, has the full complements of technical hands in its legal department to advise it appropriately and we wonder why it had to wait for directives from the AGF, an external party, if not for partisan and subjective interest.”

Metuh added that the PDP had “rejected in its entirety this brazen move by the APC and INEC to circumvent the laws and ambush the yet-to-be concluded election by introducing a practice that is completely alien to the constitution and the electoral act.’’

He added, “The clear implication of this action of the AGF and INEC is that the APC would be fielding two different governorship candidates in the ongoing Kogi election, meaning that INEC would be transferring votes cast for the late Prince Abubakar Audu to another candidate, scenarios that have no place in the constitution of the land.”

Metuh alleged that INEC under the leadership of Yakubu had shown itself as partisan, morally bankrupt and obviously incapable of conducting a credible election within the ambit of the laws.

He said the PDP was demanding the immediate resignation of the INEC chairman, alleging further that the nation’s democracy could not afford to be left in the hands of an electoral umpire that he believed could not exert its independence and the sanctity of the electoral process.

Late Audu's Replacement: APC To Conduct Fresh Primary

Late Prince Abubakar Audu

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC has declared it will conduct fresh primary election in it's bid to replace Prince Abubakar Audu who died at the verge of victory 2 days ago.

The Party Chairman, Mr. John Odigie-Oyegun in a statement issued on the party stance said , said the decision to hold a fresh primary was taken after the APC received a letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) asking it to replace Audu. 

“It’s in the public space already, that the chief law officer of the republic has made his views know on how things should develop from this stage on,” he said.

 “He has made a pronouncement to the effect that all that is required is for the APC to go through the processes of providing a substitute to our late candidate with the implication being that thereafter the supplementary elections to conclude the process of electing a new governor of Kogi state will begin to be put in place so as a party we going to proceed with process organising primary to provide a substitute candidate, Abubakar Audu. “We are going to go into executive session now, to know the nature of the primary.”

Audu’s death had sparked debate among lawyers and public commentators, with some suggesting that Abidoun Faleke, the deceased’s running mate, should be given the ticket of the party. 

“Kogi situation fits more into section 181(1) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and as such James Abiodun Faleke automatically becomes the governorship candidate of the APC. As a result the joint ticket of Audu/Faleke has acquired some votes already. 

James Abiodun Faleke is as much entitled to those votes already counted as much as the late Abubakar Audu. He has a right to cling to those votes going into the supplementary election,” 

Festus Keyamo, a notable Nigerian lawyer, had argued. But with the new development all the controversies have been put to rest. Though Oyegun did not disclose the date for the exercise, it is expected to be this week since INEC has scheduled the supplementary election for December 5. INEC declared Saturday’s election inconclusive because the number of cancelled votes was higher than the margin between the two leading candidates. 

Audu, who was leading the election, secured 240,867 votes, ahead of Idris Wada, incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 199,514 votes. The difference between them was 41,353 votes, while a total of 49,953 votes were voided in the election as a result of irregularities.

APC To Replace Late Audu, Supplementary Election Date FIXED

Following the Independent National Electoral Commission's declaration of Kogi gubernatorial election as inconclusive, December 5th 2015 has been slated for the supplementary election.

The ruling and the winning party, the All Progressives Congress, APC has been told to replace the late candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu,  as the choice on who becomes the candidate it was gathered would be left in the hands of the party,

The INEC, returning officer for the election, Prof. Emmanuel Kucha of Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, had announced Audu as

APC REJECTS Kogi Governorship Results

The Ruling All Progressives Congress has rejected results of Kogi State governorship election declared as inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Though, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chiefs were yesterday meeting on the Kogi State governorship election, which was declared inconclusive —a decision rejected by legal experts too.

According to The Nation, the All Progressives

Intense Panic In PDP Over ‘APC's Purported Video That Expose Jonathan Administration's Evil

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PDP threatens military coup consequence
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PDP complains ‘video’ will successfully incite the people to hate Jonathan
PDP complains ‘video’ will cause military coup if Jonathan should somehow win
PDP complains ‘video’ will shame Jonathan and his appointees and

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With just six days to the general election, Mr Dekera has lost his

Buhari's Town Youth Watch Off Jonathan, PDP members foot step from Daura with soap, water and broom

President Goodluck Jonathan took his presidential campaign to Daura, Katsina State, the home town of All Progressives Congress presidential candidates, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, where he, the president was conferred with a chieftaincy title.

Immediately the president left, some irate youths took to the street to wash the