The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has suspended elections in 141 polling units in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State in the country’s south-south.
This was disclosed by the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, today in Abuja while briefing journalists at the collation centre, Abuja, on the ongoing general election.
Mahmood Yakubu said the exercise was postponed in the affected polling units because the voting process was disrupted.
The postponement affects both the presidential and national assembly elections in the polling units.
Mr Yakubu said the process was disrupted in Bayelsa state, particularly in the capital of Yenogoa in four wards 4, 6, 8, and 14.
He said the INEC ad-hoc staff expressed the election, thus necessitating the postponement.
‘We have decided that the election will be held tomorrow (Sunday) where 40 out of 141 polling units where the materials are intact.
‘We remobilised security and the situation is calm for us to continue the process. But the youth corps members expressed some apprehension about going back.
‘So we met with security agencies and we’ve decided that voting in these 141 polling units where the materials are actually intact, will take place tomorrow morning.
‘Remember, we’re not only doing presidential election, but we are also doing sénatorial and federal constituencies.
‘So it’s good to recover and conduct the elections so that we can conclude the processes. The youth corps members who are serving as presiding officers and other commission staff, are agreeable that the elections should hold tomorrow morning.’
The electoral commission also announced the suspension of the election in Esan and Igueben federal constituency in Edo state.
‘In Edo state, we had a situation that we handled yesterday (Friday), one of the parties whose acronym is on the score sheet but the logo is not on the ballot paper in a federal constituency,’ Yakubu said.
‘After meeting with the stakeholders, a decision was taken since the materials are intact. So, we have suspended the election for Esan North, Esan South and Igueben.
‘The ballot papers will be reprinted and elections will now hold with the constituency elections in the next two weeks.’
Prof Yakubu also spoke on other observations from today’s election.
He said ‘INEC reported losing several BVAS machines in some parts of the country to thugs.
‘The commission has recovered from these losses because it has contingency arrangements to respond to any such attack,’ Mr. Yakubu said.
‘I am happy to say that the process is now ongoing and Nigerians will be allowed to vote in those affected areas,’ he said.
