As politicians in Sokoto engage in popularity supremacy
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has put on hold the supplementary elections in Brass Constituency 1 following a court order to include omitted units in the area.
It would be recalled that the Federal High Court in Yenagoa had on Friday, ordered the commission to include omitted polling units in the supplementary elections in the constituency.
INEC’s resident electoral officer for the state, Mr. Monday Udoh said in a statement on Saturday that out of the three constituencies earlier scheduled for the polls, election will hold in two –Southern Ijaw IV and Ogbia 11.
“INEC wishes to inform the good people of Bayelsa that the supplementary polls to conclude results in three constituencies namely: Brass 1, Ogbia 11, and Southern-Ijaw IV is holding on March 23 with the exception of Brass 1.
“The conduct of supplementary in Brass 1, ward 6 polling units 11-16 has been put on hold by an interlocutory order of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa in suit No: FHC/YNG/CS/41/2019 and dated march 22.
“The supplementary elections in the other two constituencies are holding as scheduled. We wish to inform that necessary arrangements are already in place for a hitch free exercise in those two constituencies.
“As law abiding agency, the commission will inform the stakeholders as soon as the court order is dispensed with on Brass constituency 1,” the REC explained.
Elsewhere in Sokoto State, some notable party chieftains engaged in popularity supremacy at Magajin Gari ward ‘B’ Shiyyar Danfarijo polling units 005 and 009, where supplementary polls were held.
This led to chaos in the supplementary poll for the Sokoto North local government area of Sokoto state.
The presence of party chieftains, Alhaji Murtala Daniya of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and two All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains, Alhaji Abdullahi Hassan, a one-time chairman of Sokoto North local government area and APC youth leader, Mr. Nasiru Italiya at the polling center disrupted the processes.
Police had to use teargas on the crowd and deploy more personnel before normalcy was restored after the election was put on hold for about three hours.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Daniya of the PDP, who was among the early voters, displayed his ballot sheet to the public, a situation that led to the throwing of sand and objects at INEC officials, security men and the party chieftains.
The presiding officer, Mr. Otu Cassius, said in an interview that they reported for election duty as early as 7am and that screening and voting commenced simultaneously as there were no hitches with the card reader.
Cassius, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, said the processes were well until the incident.
A PDP agent at the polling unit, Alhaji Bashiru Abdulkadir said it was right for Daniya to publicly display what he voted because even a presidential candidate did it after voting in the just concluded presidential election.
However, the APC agent Mr. Muntari Muhammad opposed the position, stressing that it violated electoral laws and said he had lodged a complaint to the authorities.
