PDP Wins 17, APC 4 Assembly Seats in Bayelsa

PDP Wins 17, APC 4 Assembly Seats in Bayelsa

By Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared as inconclusive results from three constituencies in the just-concluded State House of Assembly election in Bayelsa State.

It said that fresh polls had been rescheduled for the 23rd of this month, noting that a stakeholders’ meeting would soon be held to intimate all the parties with the details of the polls.

However, in the released results by the electoral umpire, the PDP retained 17 seats and conceded four to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

INEC listed Brass Constituency 1, Ogbia Constituency 2, where former President Goodluck Jonathan voted and Southern Ijaw 4 Constituency as the areas where the elections could not be concluded due to several irregularities.

A statement by Mr. Wilfred Ifogah, INEC Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity in the state, said supplementary polls would be conducted in the affected areas on a date to be announced shortly.

He explained that the reason for declaring three constituencies inconclusive by the INEC was due to breaches of the regulations and guidelines for the conduct of 2019 general elections.

“21 results were fully declared and winners returned while three were declared inconclusive with due reference to INEC regulations and guidelines for the conduct of 2019 general elections.”

He noted that some of the rules included “Clause 10 (10), mandatory use of smart card readers and  28 (b), collation at ward level as well as clause 43 (b).

He added that after a careful review of the activities by the management team as informed by the reports given by the Collation Officers and Returning Officers, the decision was finally arrived at.

Ifogah said that the commission would in due time inform stakeholders in the state of the new date to conduct supplementary elections in the three affected constituencies.

The results showed that the APC which had one seat in the State House of Assembly in 2015, increased the number to four in the 24-member State Assembly.

Among those who emerged as APC State Assembly members-elect were Mr. Wilson Ayakpo (Ekeremor 2), Minister of State, Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri’s area, Mr. Edward Irigha (Nembe 2), Douglas Samson (Nembe 3) and Omubo Ayonatimiyo (Brass 2) where the leader of the APC, former Governor Timipre Sylva, hails from.

Among the returning  members of the State House of Assembly for the PDP are the Deputy Speaker, Abraham Ngobere (Brass 3) Tonye Isenah (Kolga 2) who is returning for a third term, Ben Ololo (Nembe 1) and Koku Obiya (Yenagoa 2).

Also elected were the former Chairman of the Ijaw Youth Council (Central Zone), Tare Porri, ex-Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Council and Special Adviser to Bayelsa Governor on Oil and Gas, Bonny Ayah.

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