Voter apathy and boycott by the dominant opposition All
Progressives Congress (APC) characterised the local government elections in
Bayela on Saturday.
The
APC had said that it pulled out of the polls because the Bayelsa State
Independent Electoral Commission was constituted of card carrying members of
PDP who could not be trusted to conduct credible elections.
Checks
in Yenagoa, Ogbia and Kolokuma-Opokuma local government areas indicate that markets
and shops remained open while the polling stations were deserted.
Although Bayelsa Independent Electoral Commision had on Friday
claimed that over 4o political parties were participating in the polls along
with the PDP, the turn out was very low.
Residents
in Yenagoa shunned the restriction order on movement as commercial tricycle
operators and taxis carried on with their business of transporting commuters to
their destinations.
However,
Mr Tonye Esenah, the Speaker of Bayelsa House of Assembly said that there was
no voter apathy in Odi where he hails from.
“The
issue of voter apathy did not happen here in Odi, I do not know the places you
visited but here in Odi where I voted, there was a large turnout in all the
three wards in Odi, Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area.
“As
at 11a.m. voting ended and counting of votes was going on before I left the
polling unit,” Esenah said.
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