By Igoniko Oduma,Yenagoa
Indications emerged on Friday that there may be very low turn-out of voters in the Bayelsa State re-run governorship election slated for Saturday, 9 January, 2016 in Southern Ijaw and 101 polling units in Brass, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Ekeremor and Yenagoa local governments.
The governorship election conducted on 5 and 6 December 2015 in the state was declared inconclusive by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Baritor Kpagih, due to ballot snatching, kidnapping of INEC officials and other election-related violence in Southern Ijaw.
No fewer than five persons were said to have been killed in the wake of the electoral violence that swept through the eight local government areas of the state.
It was gathered on Friday that residents of the affected areas had been fleeing their communities in droves since the beginning of the week for fear of electoral violence.
Sources said Southern Ijaw, which is described in some quarters as the hot-bed of militancy, was the most affected in the mass exodus of voters.
Major towns in Southern Ijaw including Oporoma, the headquarters, Otuan, Peremabiri and Amassoma, the home town of the first civilian governor of Bayelsa, Late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, were said to have recorded more exodus of voters.
Earlier in the week, precisely on Wednesday, heavily armed militants were said to have invaded Peremabiri, the home town of ex-militant leader, Eris Paul, alias General Ogunbos.
They were to have stormed the community in six gunboats shooting sporadically as villagers scampered for safety.
The country home of the Speaker of Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Konbowei Benson, in Korokorosei community, Southern Ijaw, was also attacked by unknown persons suspected to be political thugs on Thursday with an object suspected to be dynamite.
Although no life was lost in the attack, the deafening explosion was said to have rocked the palatial building of Benson, damaging window panes, doors and glasses.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate,Governor Seriake Dickson, and his main challenger, former governor Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC), are battling to secure majority votes in Southern Ijaw.
While Southern Ijaw has a total of 120,827 registered voters, 38,000 votes are at stake at the 101 polling units on Saturday.
Dickson is leading Sylva with 33,000 votes in six out of the seven local government areas that results had been declared.
INEC had on Wednesday 6 January 2016 commenced the distribution of electoral materials since to Southern Ijaw and the 101 polling units.


Barely 24 hours to the rescheduled poll on Saturday, there were reports that suspected militants had taken over Ekeremor, headquarters of Ekeremor Local Government Council.
Former speaker of the state House of Assembly and PDP stalwart in the area, Boyelayefa Debekeme, was said to have been attacked at the Governor’s Lodge in Ekeremor after policemen on guard were disarmed.
The Chairman of Ekeremor Local Government, Billy Tobiye, and the PDP Ward agent, Tams Alari as well as other notable members of the party and traditional ruler of Ekeremor, Agbodo Gbaseimo, also reportedly escaped death by the whiskers.
As at the time of filing this report on Friday, residents of the areas affected by the re-run governorship election were said to be travelling out to Yenagoa and neighbouring communities in Delta and Rivers States to escape anticipated electoral violence on Saturday.

Source:
http://dailyindependentnig.com/2016/01/low-turn-looms-bayelsa-gov-re-run-residents-flee/

Seun , Lalasticlala , mynd44 una mingwoor!

Abeg they should just this election over with its already getting tiring.

E don red for AP C be that




But it's still to early to judge

run 4ur life

K

Except God intervenes, it is going to be bloody.

the judgement day has come