November 11, 2023 NewsOrient
From Ferdinand Okor, Editor At Large

Early results from Saturday’s governorship elections in Bayelsa State have revealed that incumbent Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is leading in several local government areas in the state.

The results released so far in most of the polling units in Ogbia, Nembe, Brass, Sagbama, Ekeremor, Kolokuma-Opokuma, Yenagoa and parts of Southern Ijaw showed that the incumbent Governor has maintained an early lead in the Saturday polls.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan delivered his polling unit 039 Otuabula in Otuoke community to the PDP, which is leading in 19 units with a total vote 1,379 votes as against the All Progressive Congress’ (APC’s) 1,015.

Also in Ogbia Local Government Area, results released in Opume community, where a former Commissioner of Information, Strategy and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, also delivered massively for the People’s Democratic Party, winning 15 out of the 17 polling units in the community.

Reports of released polling units in other parts of Ogbia LGA revealed as follows:

OTAKEME UNIT 005
PDP… 57
APC.. 54
INVALID 4

Unit 028
APC 64
PDP 72

Unit 001
PDP62
APC 44
NRN1
LP 1

Unit 002
APC 23
PDP 51
ADC 1

006
PDP 76
APC38
ADC 1

Ward 7, Emeyal 2} unit 3 PDP 141 APC 69) Unit 4 PDP 97 APC 36) Unit 5 PDP129 APC 48) Unit 6 PDP 124 APC 55) Unit 7 PDP 96 APC 40) Unit 8 PDP 108 APC 64) Unit 9 PDP 148 APC 41) Unit 10 Pdp 100 Apc 30) Unit 11 PDP 93 APC 41) Unit 12 PDP 99 APC 12

Sources said that the results were slow in coming because of the riverine terrain, making it difficult for INEC returning officers to submit the details.

However, according to results released so far by INEC, the PDP grabbed all of the three wards in Odi and also the units in Kaiama of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.

The PDP was also ahead of other parties in Ogbia, Sagbama and Ekeremor and Yenagoa Local Government Areas of the state, it was learnt.

More results will be made available in our subsequent reports.

Earlier on Saturday, armed thugs suspected to belong to the APC had invaded polling units in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, firing heavy gunshots and hijacking election materials.

At about 9am at Agorogbene, units 6,7 and 8 in Ward 11 of the local government, suspected thugs from Southern Ijaw allegedly escorted by a chieftain of the APC identified as Pastor Reuben Wilson, chased away voters and destroyed election materials.

Attempts by the electorate to challenge the armed men were resisted with heavy gunshots.

During the Saturday poll, security agents in Bayelsa also arrested two party supervisors alleged to be members of the APC with N95million cash in their possession.

The suspects were apprehended while allegedly attempting to induce voters with the cash.

The arrest of the suspects took place at two polling zones in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state, where vigilant security agents, acting on a tip-off, intercepted the APC supervisors in possession of the huge cash.

Preliminary reports had suggested that the suspects were discretely distributing money to potential voters, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

NewsOrient