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2023 Election

#NigeriaDecide: Protest In Bayelsa Over Absence Of INEC Officials In 25 Polling Units – [Videos]

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Hoodlums Hijack BVAS in Akwa Ibom
Voters Protesting late arrival of INEC officials in Bayelsa State
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Electorates have stormed the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State capital, to protest over the alleged absence of electoral officials and materials at no fewer than twenty-five polling units.

Voters at Ompadec, and Amarata lamented that they had waited all day to vote but there was no sign of election officials or materials for the conduct of the 2023 presidential and national assembly election as of reporting time.

Although the voting process started well at Agudama -Epie in the Yenagoa Local Government Area, electorates protested that there was a shortage of about 48,500 ballot papers meant for the Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency.

See videos below:

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Naija News understands that protesters gathered at Ward 4, Epie 1, which has 47 units covering Agudama-Epie and Akenpai communities, insisted that balloting would not be held in the area unless the missing ballot papers were replaced.

While responding to the situation, the Supervisory Presiding Officer, Austin Atekere, told reporters that when he and his colleagues received the materials from the INEC headquarters in Yenagoa, they were not sorted until they got to the ward headquarters.

“Only for us to get to our headquarters to realise that all the ballot papers for other elections were complete, except for that of the House Representatives election. The ward has about 50,000 registered voters but we were given only 1500 ballot papers.

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“As I speak with you, people have dragged me about and almost beat me up but the quick intervention of community members saved my life. However, we have contacted INEC and they have informed us that the situation is not peculiar to Agudama-Epie and Akenpai alone,” Atekere told The PUNCH.

Jonathan Votes In Bayelsa, Expresses Concern Over Lateness Of INEC Officials

Earlier, former President Goodluck Jonathan voted in Otueoke in Bayelsa State, South-South region of the country.

Naija News reports that Jonathan cast his vote at Polling Unit 39, Ward 13, in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa.

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Speaking with reporters after casting his vote on Saturday, Jonathan expressed disappointment over the late arrival of election materials to his Polling unit.

He stated that the electoral agency should have mapped out strategies to ensure that the electoral materials arrived at his polling unit and other places in the state.