The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is maintaining a comfortable lead in the Bayelsa State governorship election. The party, which was leading as at the time the ballot started on December 5, 2015 was declared inconclusive, is maintaining its lead, according to collated results of the supplementary election held yesterday in Southern Ijaw LGA and 101 other units across the state.

The collated results from various polling units and wards across the state made available to journalists showed that PDP has widened its existing lead of over 33,000 votes.

Despite the reported hitches, the party swept the polls in units and wards in Amassoma, Otuan, Ogbia, Nembe Ogbolomabiri, Ekpetiama and some other communities as made available by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the various polling units.

As at the time of filing this report, PDP, the party in power in Bayelsa, had polled 7,234 votes while federal-ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was having 1,948 votes.

After taking results from four local government areas where supplementary election was held, INEC said it will reconvene later in the day to conclude the process.

Officials of the electoral body that handled elections in Brass, Yenagoa, Sagbama and Ogbia LGAs announced the results in the early hours of today – between 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m.

After the results from Ogbia were announced the electoral body said it would take a break and reconvene later this morning by 11:00 a.m.

Results are expected from Southern Ijaw and some other polling units in two other local government areas – Kolokuma/Opokuma and Nembe – to conclude the election that was declared inconclusive by INEC after the initial poll on December 5.

The Southern Ijaw LG election was cancelled on the December 7, 2015, due to violence, ballot box snatching and stuffing, harassment and abduction of electoral officials.

Southern Ijaw has a total of 120,827 registered voters, 425 Polling Units and five Voting Points.

Thirty-eight thousand registered voters in 102 Polling Units across six local governments – Brass, Ekeremor, Nembe, Sagbama, Yenagoa and Ogbia – also participate in the election to conclude the election earlier scheduled for Saturday, December 5, 2015.

During the collation, some party agents raised issues with the process in Brass Local Government Area, citing cases of malpractices and irregularities. A party agent called for the cancellation of the election in Brass.

Responding to issues raised, the Returning Officer said all complaints should be forwarded to the commission’s office, promising that they would be addressed accordingly.

•Additional reports from Sunday Sun and Channels TV. News Express Photo by Arodiegwu Eziukwu shows prospective voters being accredited to vote in the election . . . yesterday.

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