The Bayelsa state supplementary election is holding today (Saturday) in Southern Ijaw Local Government area and 102 polling units across six other LGAs in the state.
The Peoples Democratic Party, Governor Seriake Dickson, is being challenged by a former governor of the state, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Timipre Sylva.
Dickson is leading with 81,929 votes while Sylva has 56,514 votes. The pair are expected to compete for the 158,827 votes expected from today’s rerun.
Due to widespread violence, ballot box snatching and harassment and abduction of electoral officials, the election of December 7 was cancelled in Southern Ijaw, which has a total of 120, 827 registered voters, 425 polling units and five voting points.
However, in spite of the rescheduling, a repeat of the initial election is expected when the election process commences.
In the few days leading to the supplementary election, several cases of pre-election violence have already been recorded in Southern Ijaw and other parts of the state.
As a result of the local government area being the home of a chunk of the former militant leaders from the state, the violent acts are being brazenly perpetrated.
According to a report by Punch Newspapers, many residents of Peremabiri, Korokorosie, Aliebobiri and Oporoma, all in the Southern Ijaw local government area, have fled their homes in apprehension of the predicted violence.
In the past few days, there have been several armed attacks and incidents of violent acts recorded in the state.
Some of the prominent attacks include the home of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Speaker, Konbowei Benson, which was attacked with explosives on Thursday.
The Bayelsa state police also, during the course of the week, arrested five people for planning to attack the house of former President Goodluck Jonathan in Yenagoa.
Also, on Friday, the governor’s lodge in Ekeremor turned into a fight arena, as aides of Governor Seriake Dickson and other PDP stalwarts were inflicted with machete wounds.
Meanwhile, the State Chairman of the APC, Tiwei Orunimighe, has accused the Bayelsa Speaker of harbouring over 200 armed thugs in his hometown, Korokorosie.
“As we talk now, there are more than 200 armed youths in Korokorosei being housed by the Speaker. We are also aware that another chieftain from Akassa is also bringing another 200 to Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. All these are people who are shouting but they are the ones perpetrating violence and using militants.”
