Bayelsa: Tempers rise as INEC rejects APGA’s victory

Tempers rose in Bayelsa State on Tuesday, following the rejection of the victory of the candidate for the All
Progressives Grand Alliance in the rescheduled Assembly election.
The Baritor Kpagih-led Independent National Electoral Commission in the state turned down the verdict of the Presiding Officer, Perekemor Bathola, announcing the APGA candidate Alfred Watson as the winner of the poll held last Saturday.
Some politicians and supporters of Watson said there was no reason why the electoral umpire should reject the poll result.
They described the action of the INEC as shameful, alleging that the INEC was being manipulated by the Seriake Dickson administration.
But other groups within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party called on the APGA’s candidate to stop parading himself as the winner of the rescheduled Assembly election in Brass Constituency 2 in Brass Local Government Area of the state.
But in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the commission, Mr. Timidi Wariowei, he declared that the last Saturday’s House of Assembly rescheduled elections in Brass Constituency 2 was inconclusive.
Wariowei said, “The suspension of the result was due to the conflicting declarations by the Returning Officer and the circumstances surrounding the declaration.
“The reports by the Returning Officer  have been compiled for the attention and further directives of the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.”
The Returning Officer for the Assembly poll, Bathola, had declared the APGA candidate the winner of the poll.
The result declared about 5am last Sunday by Bathola, who is also a lecturer in the state-owned Niger Delta University, indicated that Watson of APGA polled 849 votes out of 2,805 accredited voters.
He also announced that PDP candidate scored 380 while the candidate of the APC scored 476 votes.