How Bayelsa/Kogi polls were won and lost

The outcome of last Saturday’s governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States have raised some questions but several issues may have determined the results. In Bayelsa, the victory of the APC candidate, Chief David Lyon, brings to an end the 20-year reign of the PDP on February 14, 2020 when Governor Seriake Dickson hands over […]

The outcome of last Saturday’s governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States have raised some questions but several issues may have determined the results.

In Bayelsa, the victory of the APC candidate, Chief David Lyon, brings to an end the 20-year reign of the PDP on February 14, 2020 when Governor Seriake Dickson hands over the mantle of leadership.

David Lyon defeated the candidate of the PDP, Senator Douye Diri,  with 352,552 votes against  the 143,172 scored by the PDP.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the election.

The INEC Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of ABU Zaria, Prof. Ibrahim Garba who announced the results in Lokoja on November 18, said Bello polled 406, 222 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Engr Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 189,704 votes. He defeated the PDP candidate  with 216,518 votes.

The candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Barr. Natasha Akpoti, polled 9,482 votes to emerge third in the contest.

The polling agent of the PDP, retired Capt Joe Agada, rejected the result and refused appending his signature on the final result sheet. He said the result was not a true reflection of what transpired during the election, adding that the entire exercise was marred by widespread irregularities and violence.

Agada said the results, especially from Okene, Adavi and other local government areas in the Central Senatorial District where “concocted” in favour of the APC.

He said agents were never allowed access to the polling units and collation centres, especially in the Central Senatorial District.

This is just as the governorship candidate of the PDP, Engr. Musa Wada, said he would approach the Election Petition Tribunal to challenge the outcome of the poll when inaugurated.

Similarly,  the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Natasha Akpoti, also condemned the conduct of the election and urged INEC to cancel it.

Governor Yahaya Bello while reacting to his victory, described the election as peaceful, free and fair, and commended INEC and the security agencies for their role in the election.

Factors that shaped Kogi poll

One significant factor was the widespread violence, intimidation of voters, snatching of ballot boxes and destruction of ballot papers by suspected political thugs in many polling units in the state.

About 10 persons including a PDP women leader were reported killed during and after the election, just as many others sustained injuries. The violence was more pronounced in Dekina, Lokoja, Ijumu, Ajaokuta and Kabba-Bunu. There were sporadic shooting and ballot box snatching also in polling units in Lokoja, the state capital.

Over 149,000 votes were cancelled across the state due to widespread violence, snatching of ballot boxes and other irregularities.

Another factor was the role of security agents, especially the police, during the election. Although, about 35,000 policemen were deployed for the election, suspected political thugs still disrupted the process, even as some security personnel were accused of complicity in some of the irregularities and violence.

Husband of slain Kogi PDP women leader demands justice

Elder Simeon Babani Seidu Abuh, the husband of a PDP women leader, Mrs. Salome Acheju Abuh who was burnt to death in her home by suspected political thugs after the election at Ochadamu, described her killing as premeditated and called on all authorities concerned to ensure justice in the matter.

He said his wife came under attack by suspected political supporters of the ruling party right from Saturday while she was at the polling unit at Ochadamu Primary School.

“I took her to Holy Memorial Hospital Ochadamu where she was attended to by one Dr. Agama and advised to rest due to the trauma of the attack.

“After the election, I returned to Abuja where I reside leaving her behind to rest for a few days as advised by the doctor.

“I was constantly on phone with her. On Monday, about 12am, my younger brother from Lokoja, Pst. Mark Abuh, called me that there was trouble at home.”

“The attack was premeditated and I hereby appeal for justice over this gruesome murder,” he said.

How Jonathan’s men nailed PDP in Bayelsa

In what many described as a landslide victory, the APC won in former president Goodluck Jonathan’s home local government of Ogbia and five others including Nembe, Yenagoa, Ekeremor, Brass and Southern Ijaw local government areas.

Before the election, there were serious issues of disagreement in the PDP arising from the choice of candidate, and while Governor Dickson was hell bent on producing his successor from his restoration caucus of PDP, former president Jonathan and his allies were fronting for a former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe.

Though Dickson had his way at the end by producing Senator Douye Diri, the outcome of the primary did not go well with supporters and kinsmen of the former president, as most of them deserted the party for the APC and declared support for its candidate, Lyon.

Before the governorship election, some prominent allies and kinsmen of Jonathan including Chief Robert Ajala Enugha, former chairman of the Environmental Sanitation Board, Senator Nimi Amange, a former PDP chieftain, Mr Claudius Inegesi and Mr Michael Ogiasa, a Special Adviser to Governor Dickson, had led their supporters to formally declare for Lyon.

Also, a former deputy governor of the stste, Chief Peremobowei Ebebi, three commissioners in Dickson’s government and several aides had also resigned their appointments to join the APC to work for the victory of David Lyon.

During the campaigns, the former president, Mrs. Eunice Jonathan, hosted the APC candidate at her Otuoke home, where she prayed for his success.

Problems started for the PDP when Governor Dickson insisted on producing a governorship candidate from his restoration caucus, a situation that did not go down well with the former president and his men.

It was believed that Jonathan had a hand in the late entrance into the governorship race by Chief David Lyon, only a few weeks to the APC primaries.

During the build up to the PDP primary, Jonathan had at a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House, told the leadership of the PDP in the state that without unity in its ranks, the opposition APC may find its way during the election.

He said: “It is only our unity that can give us victory. If we are not united, they (APC) can get away with it. For example, it took the unity of the people of Rivers State including women who were resolute against soldiers to get the PDP victory in the state. If that had not happened, the opposition would have taken it.

“The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State lacks the political presence at the ward, local government and state levels to win the November 16, 2019, governorship election, but the PDP must be more united to retain power in the state.

“For us to secure this state for PDP, we need maximum unity and that is why all the 21 aspirants are important to us. We must have that maximum unity and must not create any form of division or discrimination. At the end of the day one person will emerge and all of us will work for whoever emerges as candidate of the party,” he said.

Governor Seriake Dickson, during a world press conference after INEC declared Chief David Lyon winner,  said he tried to meet with Jonathan 16 times to discuss the issue of the PDP flag bearer before the election, alleging that the former leader also refused to meet with Senator Douye Diri before the election but opted to meet David Lyon.

He said the endorsement of Lyon, the governor-elect by Jonathan was regrettable and a ploy by the APC to strategically take over the state.

He said the perception that he alienated PDP stakeholders including the former president was unfounded, adding that the primary election that produced the PDP candidate was credible.

He said: “Jonathan remains my Oga and I respect him, but there are lots of efforts by certain interests to create a rift between us, there is no politician that has been there for the former president than me.

“He has also helped me, but it is unfortunate that I am being misconstrued in this matter of the election, I tried to meet Jonathan for 16 times and he opted to support a candidate that does not wish me well.

“I will soon write my memoirs and people will have a fair view of what happened, the visit of some APC governors to Jonathan who congratulated the APC candidate without congratulating the candidate of his party.

“It is strategic for APC leaders to use Jonathan to legitimise the illegitimacy that happened on Saturday,” Dickson said.