INEC postpones election in 141 Bayelsa polling units to Sunday

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended elections in 141 polling units of Bayelsa state.

Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, said the exercise was postponed in the affected polling units because the voting process was disrupted.

The INEC chairman spoke on Saturday while briefing journalists at the collation centre, Abuja, on the ongoing general election.

The postponement affects both the presidential and national assembly elections in the polling units.

He said the exercise is now expected to hold on Sunday.

Yakubu said while the situation is now under control, the commission decided to postpone the election after NYSC members expressed apprehension about going back to the locations.

“We have a situation in Bayelsa state, particularly in the capital of Yenogoa where in four wards — wards 4,6,8,14 involving 141 polling units, the process was disrupted,” he said.

“We remobilised security and the situation is calm for us to continue the process. But the youth corps members expressed some apprehension about going back.

“So we met with security agencies and we’ve decided that voting in these 141 polling units where the materials are actually intact, will take place tomorrow morning. Remember, we’re not only doing presidential election, but we are also doing sénatorial and federal constituencies.

“So it’s good to recover and conduct the elections so that we can conclude the processes. The youth corps members who are serving as presiding officers and other commission staff, are agreeable that the elections should hold tomorrow morning.”

The electoral commission also announced the suspension of the election in Esan and Igueben federal constituency in Edo state.

“In Edo state, we had a situation that we handled yesterday (Friday), one of the parties whose acronym is on the score sheet but the logo is not on the ballot paper in a federal constituency,” Yakubu said.

“After meeting with the stakeholders, a decision was taken since the materials are intact. So, we have suspended the election for Esan North, Esan South and Igueben.

“The ballot papers will be reprinted and elections will now hold with the constituency elections in the next two weeks.”