The All Progressives Congress (APC) flag Bearer in the December 5
governorship election in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, has asked
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to announce the
results from the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and declare the
winner of the elections.
In a petition to INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, and copied
to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Mallam Abubakar Malami (SAN), Sylva said that the commission lacked the
powers to cancel already concluded or on-going election.
Sylva in a letter to the commission said: “It is important to note
that under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as
amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), there is no power
either, express or implied that is vested on the Resident Electoral
Commissioner, your commission or any staff whatsoever to cancel election
that has commenced or concluded, in any manner as was done in Bayelsa
state.
“The Commission’s power, in the above is limited only to the postponement of election that has not commenced”.
The APC candidate, however, further requested that should the
commission feel “strongly that it has the powers to cancel already
concluded or on-going elections,” it should also cancel the elections in
Ekeremor, Sagbama Local Government Areas, Wards 4 and 5 of Yenagoa and
Ward 8,9 and 10 of Nembe Local Government Areas.”
On Southern Ijaw Local Government, Sylva admitted that there was no
election in the area on December 5, 2015, due to some violence.
He, however, insisted that on December 6: “election materials were
distributed from Local Government Headquarters at Oporoma to the
different ward headquarters, and elections conducted in a free and fair
manner at the different polling units and results announced”.
“That elections were concluded on Sunday 6th December without any
reported violence from the polling units or wards either by INEC
officials on the field at the units or ward level.
“That the different results from the LGAs were being collated at the
state collation centre in Yenagoa from Sunday 6th to 7th December as the
results were brought in by the different LGAs, and the Returning
officer never reported any violence either during the election or while
collation was ongoing as he had told everyone that the results of
Southern Ijaw Local Government Area are still being awaited.
“That at about 4pm or 5pm, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC)
for Bayelsa State announced the cancellation of the results of the
election of Southern Ijaw Local Government Government Area citing
violence and ballot snatching, and that another date for elections in
Southern Ijaw would be announced.”
Sylva further stressed that the current statues do not support the cancellation of an election while collation was on-going:
“We consider the action of cancelling results of an election while
collation is on-going as a dangerous precedent, usurping of the
functions of the Tribunals established by the Constitution illegal and
reminiscent of the annulment of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election and
if allowed stand will not only expose your Commission to endless and
avoidable litigations and would become a ready tool in the hands of
officials of your Commission the power to truncate the will of the
people,” he maintained.
In a related development, the Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation
(SICO) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayelsa State, yesterday
said the military personnel deployed for the last weekend’s governorship
election gave a good account of themselves in checking the activities
of thugs allegedly brought into the state by the People’s Democratic
Party (PDP).
The party condemned the statements credited to Governor Seriake
Dickson, casting aspersion on the integrity of the Nigerian Army.
APC claimed that the governor made the statement because the military
men did not allow him carry on with his plans to compromise the
election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
A statement by SICO’s Director of Media and Publicity, Chief Nathan
Egba, said it was regrettable that the Governor displayed his act of
desperation by castigating the security forces who had come to help the
people curtail the act of gangsterism and orchestrated violence
perfected by his government to undermine the election.
The Nation
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