INEC suspends Brass 2 rescheduled election result

The Independent Na- tional Electoral Com- mission (INEC) has suspended the result of the last Saturday’s resched- uled state House of Assembly in Brass Constituency 2 in Bayelsa State.

The suspension is con- tained in a statement issued in Yenagoa and signed by INEC public relations officer, Timidi Wariowei the election was inconclusive.

In the result declared by Perekeme Bertola, returning officer for Brass 2 rescheduled election, Alfred Watson of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) won with 849 votes.

Bertola stated that out of 2,805 accredited voters for the election, the Peo-ples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 380 votes while the All Progressive Congress (APC) got 476 votes.

However, INEC said there were conflicting declarations by the returning officer and the circumstances surround- ing the declaration, and that the reports of the returning officer have been compiled and sent to Abuja for further directives.

The statement read in part: “The suspension of the result was due to the conflicting declarations by the returning officer and the circumstances surrounding the declaration. The reports by the returning officer have been compiled for the attention and further directives of the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.”

It was gathered that the development is not uncon-nected with protests by some groups in Brass 2 who urged Watson to stop parading him- self as the winner of the re- scheduled election.

Meanwhile, supporters of the APGA candidate have described the INEC move as shameful and that the com- mission is acting pressure from the state government.

Manager of Watson Cam- paign Organisation, Felix Ba- paganyo told journalists that the “election was conducted in the area.

It was the freest and violent-free election in the area. It was one vote and one man. The election fol- lowed the required provision of the law.

The result of the election was declared in the presence of the people and security operatives including a huge number of armed sol- diers and police.”

SAMUEL ESE, Yenagoa