Thirty political parties under the auspices of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) yesterday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh elections in Southern Ijaw and Nembe local government areas of Bayelsa State.
CUPP lamented that there was no elections in most wards in the affected local governments alleging that its candidates for the elections could not cast their votes following hijack of materials and violence.
The party chairmen and candidates, who spoke in Yenagoa, the state capital, alleged that elections failed to hold in wards 4, 14, 15 and 16 in Southern Ijaw as well as all the seven wards in Nembe Bassambiri.
The Chairman of CUPP, Tare Edwin, condemned the abduction of INEC officials and materials meant for the seven wards in Bassambiri and death of some persons in the area.
Describing the incidents as most unfortunate, sad and unacceptable, he claimed that the incidents were masterminded by opposition leaders and INEC in connivance with security operative.
Insisting that a similar development occurred in Southern Ijaw, h said it was shameful that such actions occurred despite the riot act of President Muhammadu Buhari against ballot box snatchers.
He said in Agbere, Sagbama Local Government Area, opposition party leaders in the company of security operatives catered away all electoral materials.
Edwin said: “There was shooting and the ensuing violence resulted in many casualties. There was no election. In Southern Ijaw Ward 2, deaths were recorded including one Seidougha Taribi, who was shot dead.
“We demand fresh elections to be conducted in all these areas affected and call on INEC not to accept any results from the affected areas”.
Also speaking the state Chairman of Labour Party, Ebiowei Numofe, said violence including sustained gunfire marred elections in the two local government areas adding that there was no voting in the affected areas.
“This was due to sustained gunfire throughout the night of February 22 and the morning of the Election day. There was widespread intimidation and hijacking of electoral materials meant for the said wards.
“Election materials were brazenly and taken to a hotel in Nembe-Bassambiri were thumb-printing of the materials were arranged by men suspected to be agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We demand the rescheduling of the elections in those wards or cancellation of any purported results there as they would be products of gross rigging, amde intimidation and bloodshed”.