Just In: Our Officials Have Been Abducted In Bayelsa LGA, Says INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday said that some of its officials on election duty were held hostage in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Expressing concern over the situation, INEC stated that the actions of holding officials hostage were detrimental to the credibility of the electoral process. In a statement on its verified X platform, the commission urged security agencies, particularly the police, to take immediate action to rescue the electoral officers and ensure their safety. INEC condemned the action as “detrimental to credible elections” and called on security agencies including the police to swing to action and rescue the electoral officers. “We call on the security agencies to immediately facilitate their release,” the commission said. The incident unfolded amid protests in the oil-rich South-South state over alleged result manipulation as the collation of the November 11, 2023, election results commenced. Protesters, including state commissioners and lawmakers, asserted that elections did not take place in the Nembe area of the state. The tense situation escalated further as Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri, accused Timipre Sylva, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), of orchestrating electoral violence in the Nembe-Bassambiri area. Governor Diri, who is seeking re-election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expressed concern about the violent tendencies associated with Timipre Sylva’s involvement in elections over the years. The governor linked Sylva to incidents of violence and lawlessness, particularly in Nembe-Bassambiri. Timipre Sylva, a former Bayelsa governor and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources from 2019 to 2023, has been a prominent figure in the state’s political landscape. The unfolding events underscore the challenges facing the electoral process and the need for swift intervention by security agencies to ensure the safety of INEC officials and uphold the integrity of the democratic process.

2m Voters Registered Voters Set For Kogi Guber Election –INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said two million registered voters are expected to vote in the Saturday off-cycle governorship election in Kogi. The election will hold in 3,508 poling units, spread across the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. The LGAs included Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Ibaji, Idah, Igalamela/Odolu, Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu, Kogi, Lokoja, Mopamuro, Ofu, Ogori-Magongo, Okene, Okehi, Olamaboro, Omala, Yagba-East, and Yagba-West. Speaking on preparations for the election, Dr Gabriel Longpet, the state Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), said that the commission was 100 per cent ready. Longpet said that the commission had recruited over 15,000 ad hoc staff to help it in the smooth conduct of the poll. “We have 3,508 polling units and each of these units will be manned by four ad hoc staff aside the security personnel that will be around to ensure peaceful conduct of the election. “We shall deploy more staff and BVAS in densely populated polling units to complement those we are going to use. “To be precise, we are going to use more than 900 back-up BVAS. “This is because some polling units have more than 1,000 to 2,000 registered voters, and we have to split the number by creating more voting points for easy voting. “This becomes imperative as we don’t want to give room for anything that will delay the process. “As soon as there is a report of any BVAS failure or challenge, we shall provide another one and configure it to that polling unit for smooth continuation of voting,” he said. Longpet said that the BVAS had been deployed to the 21 local government areas of the state in readiness for the election. Also speaking, the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Bethrand Onuoha, said over 40,000 policemen would be deployed across the state to ensure peaceful conduct of the election. Onuoha said that the planned deployment of large number of personnel was due the past experiences in the state, where violence was recorded during elections. “As it is, we have marked out some security flash points for more vigilance even though recent happenings signaled to us that the whole Kogi is a flashpoints. “From the number of security personnel we are deploying for this election, it’s an enough testimony to tell you that the state needs more security checks. “With the presence of adequate security personnel in Kogi, we are calling on every body to come out and exercise his or her civic right in the Saturday governorship election. “We are going to swam the state with enough security personnel and by the special grace of God, with our actions and sanctions, we are going to confound our detractors,” he said. Onuoha added: “God is telling me that this election is going to be better than all the elections ever held here in Kogi. “We have directed our personnel to be fair to everybody because we come here to serve the people and not any particular individual.” The CP urged politicians to play according to the rules of the game, saying that election would come and go, while the people would remain. “We expect that they should adopt politics without bitterness. Your brother is your brother, no matter where he belongs politically, ” he said. Onuoha warned trouble makers especially political thugs, not to try any thing funny as regard the election as security operatives are battle ready to deal with them. “In election, you don’t use matches and guns to force people to give you votes. Such people will meet the wrath of the law. “What we want in Kogi is a peaceful and successful election. Therefore, politicians must play according to the rules of the game or be dealt with. “The traditional rulers should help us talk to their subjects to maintain peace throughout the election period because it will come and go and we will all remain as residents,” said the police chief. Eighteen political parties featuring in the election on Wednesday signed a peace accord, ahead of the poll.Some of the parties were the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Labour Party (LP) and the Action Alliance (AA). Others are the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), the National Rescue Movement and the Action Democratic Party (ADP).

Guber Elections: We’re Not Extending Deadline For Polling Agents, Says INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has told political parties that it has no plans to extend the October 10 deadline for uploading of the list of their agents for polling units and collation centres for the November 11 Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo governorship elections. Mr Sam Olumekun, INEC National Commissioner and the Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Olumekun said that with less than 72 hours to deadline, only 55 per cent of expected agents for polling units and collation centre had been uploaded on its portal by political parties for the governorship election. He advised parties yet to comply to do before the deadline.Olumekun said that INEC notified all parties of the opening of its online portal for the upload of the list of polling units and collation centre agents, which commenced on August 24. He added that the commission thereafter engaged party representatives on the methodology for a seamless process. Olumekun said that in spite of the notice and subsequent reminders, parties were yet to substantially comply by submitting the list of their agents. “For Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi, only 55 per cent of the expected total of 189,180 polling unit agents have been uploaded to the designated INEC Portal. “Specifically, 29,278 out of the expected 40,372 (72.5 per cent for Bayelsa; 51,681 out of 85,644 (60.3 per cent) for Imo, and 23,720 out of 63,144 (37.6 per cent) for Kogi State have been uploaded. “Similarly, only 25.1 per cent of the expected 15,804 Collation Agents in the three States have been uploaded: 1,246 (26.0 per cent) out of 4,806 for Bayelsa; 1,638 (27.3 per cent) out of 5,994 for Imo, and 1,095 (21.9 per cent) out of 5,004 for Kogi. “The commission hereby wishes to further remind political parties that the portal will automatically shut down at 12:00 midnight on Tuesday Oct. 10. “There shall be no extension. Consequently, all parties sponsoring candidates for the elections that are yet to upload the list of their agents should do so before the deadline for the exercise,” Olumekun said. On the online accreditation of journalists for the election, Olumekun said that late applications would not be entertained after the Oct. 22 deadline and there shall be no provision for manual accreditation. He said that so far 45 media organisations had applied for the online accreditation of journalists which commenced on Aug. 24 and shall close on Oct. 22. “The commission also wishes to use this medium to encourage all interested Media organisations to take advantage of the remaining window to apply on imap.inecnigeria.org before the deadline on Oct. 22,” he said. Olumekun expressed the commission’s dismay on the spate of insecurity and violence, including clashes among supporters of political parties and candidates in the forthcoming elections. He appealed to all political parties and candidates to avoid utterances and acts that might heat up the polity or jeopadise peaceful conduct of the election. “In our engagement with political parties, the commission has constantly called on parties to rein in their supporters from actions capable of jeopardising the peaceful conduct of elections in Nigeria. “INEC earnestly appeal to all Political Parties and candidates to avoid utterances and acts that may heat up the polity. “The commission will continue to closely monitor the situation and sustain its engagement with security agencies and stakeholders to ensure a peaceful conduct of elections in the three states,” he said.