Skip to main content

Election observers tell INEC to cancel Bayelsa election

The Coalition of Civil Society Election Observer Groups has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the results of the Nov. 16 governorship poll in Bayelsa and conduct a fresh election.

The coalition Co-ordinator, Mr Olufemi Lawson, made the call at a news conference in Lagos.

INEC issued Chief David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) a certificate of return on Thursday after he emerged winner of the election with 352,552 votes.

Lawson said the result should not be allowed to stand as it did not reflect the choice of Bayelsans.

He said reports by the coalition, comprising civil society groups which monitored the election and some other local and international observers, indicated that the election was not credible as it was characterised by irregularities.


The coordinator said there were many proven cases of violence during the election as well as many cases of ballot snatching and stuffing.

Lawson also said that there were widespread incidents of vote-buying during the election, adding that many residents were disenfranchised as a result of flooding in some communities.

Lawson said security agencies did not perform their expected responsibility to ensure the election was peaceful.

”We are miffed at the inability and failure of security agencies to intervene or try to stop hoodlums from perpetrating violence, especially in the snatching of ballot boxes and disruption of collation process at the polling units.

”The result of the election cannot be said to represent the aspirations of the genuine voters in the state and we, therefore, call for the cancellation of the results of the governorship election.

”We are sad that till this moment, not a single perpetrator or sponsor of the violence which characterised the election has been arrested, despite the huge damages, including the loss of lives experienced.

"We are also calling on all partners, particularly the international community to consider appropriate sanctions, including visa ban, for the perpetrators of violence in the elections and their sponsors,” he said.

Also speaking. Deputy President, Campaign for Democracy (CD), Mr Isreal Babatunde, said the conduct of Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections left much to be desired, NAN reports.

He said both elections were highly militarised and were marked by malpractices.

Babatunde said the governorship election in Bayelsa greatly fell short of democratic standards, adding that the result did not reflect the wish of the people.

”We are therefore calling for the cancellation of the election as the result did not reflect the wish of Bayelsans,” he said.

He said the conduct of both Kogi and Bayelsa elections should compel the need to reform the country’s electoral system for better polls.

Babatunde added that if what happened during both elections was anything to go by, INEC might not deliver credible elections in 2023.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vulvar Care Tips

Vulva Care Maintaining a healthy vulva and vagina will help prevent infections and discomfort. Unusual changes in vaginal discharge is a sign that there might be an issue. Why is vulvar and vagina care important? Many women experience uncomfortable, vaginal infections (vaginitis) at one time or another. The area around the entrance to the vagina (vulva) can also become irritated. Steps can be taken to relieve and prevent vulvar discomfort and vaginal infections. Not all vaginal infections are alike and home treatments can worsen some types. If you have any concerns about your vulvar or vaginal health, or notice unusual changes in vaginal discharge, contact your healthcare provider if the problem persists. What is the vulva? The vulva is the area of female sex organs that lies outside of the vagina. These organs include folds of sensitive tissue called the labia (labia means "lips"). The labia has two parts. The outermost folds are called the labia majora. A secon...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nigeria’s first female banker, Sarah Morocco-Clarke is dead

Sarah Adenike Morocco-Clarke, Nigeria’s first female banker is dead. Morocco-Clarke died at the age of 80 on Sunday, 16 September 2018, after a short illness. Sarah Morocco-Clarke, an alumnus of Queen’s College Lagos, started her career with First Bank (then Bank of British West Africa, and subsequently Standard Bank) as a pioneer female employee, and rose through the ranks at First Bank Nigeria and was made the Services Manager and Secretary to the South Administration, wherein she had a mandate that covered the services of all the First Bank branches in Southern Nigeria. While she worked in the banking industry, she was manager of numerous First Bank branches in Lagos and was subsequently made a Regional Manager in charge of Bendel, Ogun and Oyo states. She was also an Area Manager in the Western part of Nigeria. Popularly known as the ‘Iron Lady, Morocco-Clarke leaves behind six successful children, thirteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Post a Comment
Read more

FRSC reinforces directive on use of google maps while driving

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has clarified its position on the use of Google Maps, The FCT Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ayuba Gora was quoted saying that driving with the aid of Google map using mobile phones is a serious traffic offence. Gora said this at the inauguration of the 2019 Ember Months Campaign by Lugbe Unit Command of the FRSC in Abuja yesterday. But, FRSC Spokesman Bisi Kazeem making reference to Gora’s comments said the Sector Commander was quoted out of context and his statement outrightly misrepresented. Kazeem said the FRSC as a technology-driven organisation is not and has never stood against the use of Google Maps by Motorists. The statement read: “To state the obvious, we have always enlightened the public on the position of the law on the use of phone while driving. “The statement he made during the flag off buttresses the position of the Corps, which is that any driver who intends to deploy the use of Google Map...
Post a Comment
Read more