Bayelsa electoral official drowns as PDP sweeps LG poll

A student died serving as an adhoc electoral staff during the Bayelsa Local Government elections.

A 200 Level student of Political Science at the Niger Delta University, NDU, Teller Francis, died during council polls in Bayelsa on Saturday, an electoral official confirmed on Sunday.

The Chairman, Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission, BYSIEC, Blessing Izagara, who confirmed the incident in Yenagoa, said Ms. Francis died while on election duties.

Ms. Francis, who was serving as an adhoc electoral staff, got drowned at the Akasa area when the boat he traveled in capsized.

The BYSIEC chairman, Mr. Izagara, however, attributed the unfortunate incident to carelessness.

“The deceased refused to wear life jacket. Even when she was compelled to put on the jacket at a Nigerian Navy checkpoint, she removed it later, just before the mishap,” he said.

Announcing the results of the polls, Mr. Izagara said that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won the eight chairmanship positions in the state.

He said that the commission was however yet to release the results from the 105 wards for the councilor seats.

The result for Brass local government, LG, chairmanship election shows that Mr Obed Andi of PDP scored 37,464 votes while Mr. Milton of ANPP scored 473.

Peremote Orlando of CPC got 440, while Akimi Saturday of ADC secured 422 only.

In Ekeremo LG, Tobiye Billy of PDP scored 59,553 votes to win the chairmanship seat, while Pideke Franklin of ANPP got 275 and Agawa Park of CPC got 201.

For Kolokuma/Opokuma LG, Gbaranbiri Iselema of PDP won with 19,371 votes, while Boloyabi Patrick of ANPP scored 959 votes.

The results for Nembe LG showed that the PDP candidate, Mr Emina Beneth, got 57,787 votes, Mr. Ibuami Jonathan of ACN 1,275 andMr Nyenyen Mathias of Accord Party 691 votes.

At Ogbia LG, there was no voting as Abbah Richard of PDP was declared winner unopposed.

In Sagbama LG, although there was no opposing candidate, Willy Jerry of PDP polled 56,737 as the electorate reportedly insisted on voting in absence of opposition.

In Southern Ijaw LG, Remember Ogbe of PDP got 120,189 votes, Ghadafi Okiakpe of ACN 1,359 and Ikoyike Genesis of ANPP 1,167.

In Yenagoa LG, Ben Chubby of PDP won with 111,391 while Solomon Ossai of PPA polled 225.

The BYSIEC chairman said the commission was unable to conduct elections in Ward 4 at Brass LG.

He said the election would, however, be conducted within the next seven days in line with the Electoral Act.

(NAN)