Thugs invade Bayelsa polling unit, cart away thumb printed ballot papers

Some thugs have invaded a polling unit in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State Capital, carting away voting materials.

The thugs invaded the PU 020, Ward 05, Etegwe Primary School, Yenagoa, at about 4:21pm on Saturday.

PREMIUM TIMES reporter who witnessed the violent invasion reports that the thugs, about 20 in number, came with different dangerous weapons and chased away the Corps members working as ad-hoc staff of INEC.

They, thereafter, carted away thumbrinted ballot papers and boxes and escaped through the rear of the unfenced Etegwe Primary school.

Many of the voters also fled the poling unit for fear of being harmed by the rampaging thugs.

Electoral observers and INEC officials have since fled the venue.

Random voters in the unit in separate interviews told PREMIUM TIMES that the thugs are allegedly loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The unit, it was gathered, is presumed to be a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress.

A voter who declined to be named told this newspaper that the thugs were “provoked” because of the delay in the counting of the votes in the unit.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that although voting ended few hours ago, the counting exercise had not commenced until the thugs invaded the school.

A corps member who served as an official however attributed the delay to “the refusal of party agents to come forward and verify the counting process”