Tribunal orders fresh election in parts of Bayelsa

…upturns victory of PDP candidate

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh elections in some polling units of Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency.

The tribunal directed INEC to immediately withdraw the certificate of return previously awarded to Fred Agbedi (PDP), representing the constituency in the House of Representatives.

Additionally, the tribunal mandated INEC to organise a fresh election for about 26,000 voters who were unlawfully excluded from the initial election.

The legal proceedings were initiated by Michael Bless Olomu (APC), who contested the election against Agbedi.

Read also: Ned Nwoko’s election victory confirmed by Tribunal

Olomu contended that he should be declared the rightful winner of the election due to incidents of violence that marred the electoral process.

He alleged that the violence was orchestrated by the opposition and had a significant impact on the election’s integrity.

Olomu said elections did not take place in five wards yet results were collated.

He named the wards as Ward 5 (Ebedebiri) and Wards 3, 4 and 11 (Ofoni) in the Sagbama local government area and Ward 12 in the Ekeremor local government area.

In a response, Fred Agbedi said, he was ready to take part in the supplementary election.