The weekend’s off-cycle governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states saw 123 attacked, four others killed, a report by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) has revealed.

The organisation said, while two persons were shot by security agents in Dekina Local Council of Kogi for attempting to snatch ballot boxes, a corps member was killed in Ankpa Council of the state.

One death was also recorded in Brass Council of Bayelsa State during collation of results. Team Lead, Bukola Idowu, made the disclosures, yesterday, during presentation of the group’s report in Abuja.

He said KDI had set up an Election Day Data Room (EDDR) to get reports from 254 trained observers, deployed across the 56 councils of the three states for swift, credible, real-time information, analyses and escalation of incidents before, during and after the elections.

Meanwhile, a coalition of observers has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a good job in Bayelsa State. The group, in a statement, yesterday, lauded the electoral umpire for deepening democracy.

It insisted that the exercise was a boost to INEC’s determination of ensuring that elections meet international standards. The coalition included Sustainable Initiative for Nurturing Growth (SING); Women and Youth Empowerment for Global Change Initiative; New Nation Foundation for Global Development; Total Care for Peace and Development Initiative; Citizens Right for Peace and Good Leadership Initiative and Initiative for the Rapid Development of Nigeria.

Others are Initiative for Youth Transformation for Positive Change; Women Right and Peace Protection for Initiative for African; Peace Advocate and Voice for the Common Man and First Massive Literati Foundation. (The Guardian)

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