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By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa
The people of Koluama in Southern-Ijaw Constituency 4 have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to cancel the results of Saturday 9, 2019 state House of Assembly elections, adding that the exercise was marred by irregularities, ballot snatching and use of armed thugs to subvert the wish of electorates.
They said an attempt to announce any result from the constituency will lead to seeking redress in a competent court of law, adding that their call was premised on the activities of alleged “PDP thugs, led by Mr Ebimene Ayawei, younger brother of the chairman of Bayelsa state Internal Revenue Board, and sponsored by Pastor Moses Cleopas Chairman, PDP Bayelsa State chapter and Hon. Tiwei Orunimighen former APC chairman in Bayelsa State.”
Addressing a press conference in Yenagoa, the chairman of APC Ward 17, David Sense, and APC Ward 17 agent alleged that the ward materials arrived Koluama 2, being the RA Centre, at about 11.19am on Friday.
“While waiting for the materials to be sorted out unit by unit in the night for early distribution on Saturday morning to the 11 units at Koluama 1, the PDP chairman, pastor Cleopas Moses and Chief Tiwei Orunimighen’s political thugs, led by Mr Ebimene Ayawei invaded the town hall where materials were sorted out, sensitive materials snatched by thugs holding dangerous weapons and took them to Hon Nimibofa Ayawei’s house for writing of results,” they said.
They further alleged that the thugs “were armed and in numbers, hence there were no elections in SILGA ward 17. Also there were no elections in ward 16 as materials were hijacked by PDP gun men and brought to Koluama 2 for writing of results.”
They further stated that the military were informed of the development as one of the SPOs was under threat to sign the fake results written, and the intervention of the military later led to the rescue of SPO under threat.
They insisted that the RA Centre at Koluama 2 “is not safe for further electoral activities due to the nefarious activities of PDP over the years and hence the materials meant for the units located in Koluama 1 be sorted out and conveyed to Koluama directly from Yenagoa office in subsequent elections if it will not be possible to relocate the RA Centre from Koluama 2 to avoid communal crises. Case study is the direct distribution of materials from Yenagoa to ward headquarters that has created peaceful atmosphere at Oporoma town.
“We therefore call on INEC to cancel the entire results of SILGA wards 17 and 16 because the electoral materials were snatched at gun point by thugs of PDP and results entered by PDP members at the house of Hon Nimibofa Ayawei, resident at Koluama 2,” they said.
Efforts to get independent verification of the allegations, especially from the PDP, were not successful as of going to press.
