A team of observers during the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections in Bayelsa State has said that voting materials were hijacked and that the polls were marred by violence and rigging in three local government areas of the state.

This is coming on the heels of the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that 63 smart cards readers were missing in the state after they were stolen during the last elections. INEC said on Thursday that it has recovered 20 of the stolen card readers and has appealed to those in possession of the remaining ones to return them.

The observers from the Organisation of Justice for Equity Sustenance specifically stated that the elections in parts of Nembe, Brass and Southern Ijaw local government areas were characterised by irregularities while the exercise was relatively peaceful in the other five councils in the state.

Bayelsa State Governor, Honourable Seriake Dickson, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have all disputed the results of the elections, particularly in those three council areas.

This fresh twist was contained in the election observers’ Observation/Report of Activities submitted to the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday. It was signed by Mr. Adeboye Nelson.

The observers noted in the report that voting did not take place in five wards of Constituency 4 in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, namely wards 4, 12, 14, 15 and 16 as the election materials were hijacked.

In Brass, it said there was violence and rigging while an unnamed APC candidate mobilised cultists and hoodlums to disrupt the elections and molest INEC ad hoc staff as well as a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kola Okunola.

It affirmed as true the report by an electoral officer, Uzoma Diala, that elections did not take place in the area.

Also, it stated that there were no elections in Constituency 2 covering seven wards in Nembe Local Government Area.

According to the report, “In Ekeremor LGA, the election was relatively peaceful. Nembe LGA, (there was) no elections in Constituency 2 and 3 covering the other 7 wards.

“In Sagbama, the elections were peaceful there. It was the most peaceful LGA. The card reader at first was not authenticating as a result of the network but was later resolved. (There was) no stamp for thumb printing.

“Southern Ijaw/Brass: there was no election in Constituency 4 ward 4, 14, 15, 16 and 12 (Southern Ijaw). The materials were hijacked.

“There was violence and rigging (in Brass). The aspirant (candidate) of the APC mobilised cultists and hoodlums to disrupt the elections. The Ad hoc staffs were molested, including the DCP Kola Okunola, who was deployed there. The E.O’s (Uzoma Diala) comment that elections did not take place is true.”

The observers equally noted that there were no major hitches in Yenagoa LGA as voting went on peacefully in ward 6 units 008, 10 and 11 but that there was shortage of stamp in Unit 16.

They also stated that the Resident Electoral Commissioner worked tirelessly to ensure each local government area got election materials, which they said distribution commenced early, and that the commission’s officials and Ad hoc staff comported themselves very well during the exercise.