APC Candidates, Other Parties Boycott Rescheduled Elections In Bayelsa, Rivers

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Saturday, April 18th, 2015

From Collins Amadi – The opposition All Progressive Congress (apc) and 12 other political parties in Bayelsa and Rivers States have opted out of today’s rescheduled state House of Assembly elections.

The parties explained that the boycott was due to alleged agreement between the INEC and the ruling PDP to compromise the poll which is holding in eight constituencies, including Sagbama 1 and 2.

The State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Baritor Kpagih, indicated last week that other affected constituencies include: Ekeremor 1, 2 and 3, Kolokuma/Opokuma 1 and 2 as well as South Ijaw 1.

The coalition of the parties in a briefing in Yenagoa, the State capital, alleged that the that there was plot to hoard all the sensitive electoral materials, result sheets inclusive, such that after the exercise with non-sensitive materials, INEC staff, the electoral officers of the eight local government in the state would converge at designated places to enter their prepared results into the original result sheets in favour of PDP.

In the same vein, the contesting candidates of the APC for the Rivers State House of Assembly, at a press briefing addressed by Hon. Chidi Lloyd, stated that decision of APC members was borne out of the high level of insecurity in the state, which he complained could not guarantee conducive electoral process.

Lloyd who is representing Emohua State’s constituency said they decided to boycott the election for lack of confidence in the State’s INEC REC, Ms. Gesila Khan.

Besides, he disclosed that he and his colleagues in the APC, have already filed a suit before Justice Uche Agommuo of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt seeking to stop the election from.