Minor Political Parties Call For Cancellation Of Results.

 

Four  minor political parties who took part in the Bayelsa  election have given  the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)   seven days to retract it's announcement.

In a Press Conference on Monday in Yenagoa immediately after the announcement by INEC, the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) asked that the decision be rescinded immediately alleging underage voting, cancellation of results from areas where other parties won and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost.

They also alleged that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) was bypassed in some areas where the PDP won, but results were cancelled where BIVAS was bypassed and APC won.

They also pointed out that the electoral body contravened the Electoral Act by declaring a winner when the margin of victory was less than the total number of votes that were cancelled.

Alleging that PDP paid as high as N50, 000 in some parts of the state for vote buying,  the SDP state chairman Allen Domotimi maintained that his party was not comfortable with the results that were announced and subsequent declaration of Diri as the winner.

He said "We noticed that the areas that other parties won, INEC cancelled those areas and the places that PDP got higher votes were announced like in Nembe Local government area.

" In Nembe local government area,  about 26,000 votes were cancelled.

In Yenagoa local government the same thing. Infact anywhere they found out that other parties were getting more votes, they cancelled them  and announce the votes of PDP.

"They are supposed to call for a re-run election because the number of votes that they cancelled are much.

" Based on that, the  party rejects  the result that they announced and we are going to contend it  at the Tribunal to any length.

Also speaking  "Joel Nathan,   Bayelsa State Chairman of New Nigeria People's Party  said  "It was as if the big  one was allocating votes to some of the parties they felt are minor parties and I made it clear that my party is not a minor party but a big party Nigeria  and I sit here today to state that we are not comfortable with the results  that was declared by INEC.

" For now, what we are saying is that we are not comfortable with results declared, we are rejecting it  totally. We  should be apportioned the correct votes we got in this election. Even it if will not make us win, our votes should be recorded.   Until that is done we will not accept the results as released by INEC.

 Also a group of independent election monitors also queried INEC over the handling of the election calling for cancellation of the results.

Speaking on behalf of the other observers Jude Adeyemi  said "We are registering our displeasure because the election was marred with irregularities. We are  therefore calling  for the  cancellation of the results.