Parties Boycott Rescheduled House of Assembly Elections in Bayelsa

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From Segun James in Yenagoa
The Coalition of Political Parties in Bayelsa State (CPPBS) on Saturday boycotted today's rescheduled state assembly election, alleging collusion between the INEC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to undo other political parties.

The coalition, in a press release signed by the chairmen of 13 political parties including the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), among others, alleged that there is a "ploy to hoard all sensitive electoral materials, result sheets inclusive, such that, after the conduct of the election with the non-sensitive materials, the INEC staff, the electoral officers of the eight local governments and other adhoc staff in the state will converge at designated places to enter their manufactured results into the original result sheet in favour of the PDP candidates."

the PDP was also accused of haven perfected "an illicit arrangement to use the military to intimidate, harass and muzzle other candidates and genuine voters in a ploy to influence the election in favour of PDP candidates."

In the statement which was signed by Chief Timipa Orunimigha, APC; Gerebo Joseph! UDP; Abbey Daniel, APA; Oniekpe Prince, SDP and Owei Woniwei, AD among others, they leadership of the parties therefore boycotted the election.

They claimed that their reasons for the boycott have been communicated to the INEC's resident electoral commissioner who told them he has to power to stop the election, therefore it would go ahead as scheduled.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday presented  Certificates of Return to six out of the Eight elected members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the National Assembly elections in Bayelsa state.

The Six National Assembly members-elect, issued with the Certificate of Return, include the Senator-elect representing Bayelsa West Senatorial district, Deacon Foster Ogola, the Federal House of Representative members- elect representing Ogbia Federal Constituency, Sodaguwo Festus-Omoni; Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Chief Fred Agbedi; Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency, Hon.Douye Diri; Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency, Hon.David Henry Ofongo and Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency, Fouiyan Jephthah.

The two Senators-elect absent at the presentation ceremony were Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce and Senator Emmanuel Paulker.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) of the INEC in Bayelsa State,Mr. Barido Kpaghi,while speaking yesterday at the presentation ceremony held at the INEC state Secretariat, said inspite of the peaceful nature of the National Assembly elections that produced the elected Senators and House of Representative members,the recent bad blood and tension created during the state House of Assembly election is worrisome.

Kpaghi called on the Senators-elect and the Federal House of Representatives-elect to assist the commission in advocating for peaceful conduct of the rescheduled State Assembly election in Eight constituencies of the Kolokuma/Opokuma, Sagbama,Ekeremor Local Government areas of the State.

According to Kpaghi,"the commission is happy that the National Assembly election was peaceful and no casualty recorded.That was not the situation during the State House of Assembly election.We want to plead with you elected National Assembly members to tell your people that elections is not about do or die.Why is the House of Assembly election done as if it was a war.?"

The House of Representative member-elect, Hon.Douye Diri,commended the INEC for the conduct of the General elections in the state and promised the people of his constituent of proper representation.

Bayelsa: Suspected Pirates Attack Passenger Boats

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*Five PDP chieftains, others kidnapped.

segun James in Yenagoa.

Barely 24 hours to Saturday's governorship and state assembly elections, suspected pirates have attacked a passenger boat conveying five aides to the Deputy Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Chief Sam Ateki along the waterways of Brass in Brass Local Government Area of the State. The whereabouts of the men is still unknown as at press time.

However, while two other boats were successfully attacked and their passengers abducted, the boat conveying the State Chairman of the Nigerian Union Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Tare Akonno escaped pirates due to quick information from a woman fishing in the area.

The victims of the attack and the aides of the Deputy Speaker were heading to Twon Brass to participate in today's State House of Assembly election! When the attack took place.

The Brass axis of the Bayelsa waterways is notorious for pirate activities and the den for all types of criminal activities including crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and illegal refining of crude oil.

"The pirates were heavily armed and shot sporadically to scare the boat driver. The boat was filled with passengers made up of members of the Twon Brass PDP and aides to the Deputy Speaker," an eyewitness who escaped the attack told newsmen on Friday.

Although it could not be confirmed if the attack was political, THISDAY gathered that men of the Nigerian Armed Forces have, under the auspices of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Pulo Shield, promised to patrol the waterways so that the people can go home to rural communities to exercise their franchise.

Comrade Akonno who confirmed that the boat conveying him to Brass escaped narrowly due to the quick alert from a  fisher woman along the troubled waters, said: "When she saw our boat moving to the site of the attack, she quickly informed us and we turned back and hid at Okoroma community until after the pirates' operation."

Contacted, the State Police Command's spokesperson, ASP Asinim Butswat confirmed the attack on the passenger boats, but denied that the PDP chieftains were abducted.

"Yes, it was a case of piracy attack, but no life was lost. The pirates only dispossessed their victims of mobile phones, cash and other personal effects. They were not kidnapped and were coming from the Brass."