The Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, has expressed confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying the ongoing governorship election in Bayelsa State would be better than the last governorship election in the state.
Sylva stated this while casting his vote at Dukuraku polling unit 04, ward 04, at about 12:40 pm, in his country home, Okpoama, in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
“I heard that there are few skirmishes here and there in Sagbama and Ekeremor. I have not heard of any other problem here in Bayelsa State.
“As for the INEC, they have been progressively improving and every, year the processes are improved and I think we have a better outing for INEC this time. And I believe that this election will be better than the last one.
Also, the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), David Lyon, who voted in Olugbobiri Community in Southern Local Government Area, has described the election process as peaceful so far, saying the INEC did a better job this time.
Lyon
While expressing confidence that his party, APC, would emerge victorious at the end of the poll, Lyon called on security agents to remain neutral and professional as they have been so far in their conduct during and after the election.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after casting his vote in his country home, Sampou Community, in Kolokuma-Opokuma LGA, Diri said “I have received reports of electoral fraud committed by the APC. Hiring thugs to hijack materials and denying PDP members from voting.
“I had earlier raised the alarm about Bassambiri in Nembe. From the reports I have, no PDP agent is allowed into Nembe Bassambiri. At Enewari, the report I have is that the APC went there with thugs to hijack materials.
“At Opolo Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area, the APC went there with thugs, the same goes for other LGAs where the APC is creatung crisis for our members.
“We are calling on the umpire INEC that they should be alive to their responsibilities because we have received reports from several other Wards and other Local Government Areas where they need to invoke their powers.
“They should invoke their powers of either not accepting cooked up results from where materials have being hijacked. Secondly, we call on security agencies to be alive to their duties and not to take sides with the APC which are the reports that we have started receiving.
Let them be professional in their conduct, let them be neutral so that the election will be credible, transparent and open so that our party members will not be harassed or intimidated.”
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