Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa polls: Violence, alleged manipulation mar exercise

<p>Residents of Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states, on Saturday, filed out to cast their ballot during the off-season governorship elections amid violence and alleged manipulation of the system.</p>, <p>DAILY POST reports that about 5,169,692 eligible voters collected their Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC, for the election.</p>, <p>The exercise, which was held in 10,470 polling units across the three states, was, however, marred by thuggery and cries of manipulation.</p>, <p>Before Saturday, INEC had alerted Nigerians that the exercise would not be held in two polling units in Bayelsa and 38 in Imo. This may not be unconnected to security issues bedevilling the areas.</p>, <p>Aside from the outbreak of violence recorded in several polling units, there were reports of attempts to manipulate the outcome of the polls.</p>, <p>DAILY POST recalls that some INEC officials were allegedly caught with pre-recorded result sheets in PU 020, Eika/Ohizenyi, Okehi LGA of Kogi State.</p>, <p>Senator Dino Melaye, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, also raised the alarm that all polling units in Ogori/Magongo local government areas of the state had their result sheets tampered with or prefilled.</p>, <p>Responding to the irregularities, INEC in a statement on Saturday night, suspended the election in nine wards of Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area.</p>, <p></p>, <p>Prior to the commencement of the election on Saturday, an INEC official in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State was kidnapped by suspected thugs.</p>, <p>In a statement on Friday, Wilfred Ifogah, head of INEC voters’ registration in the state, said the electoral official was kidnapped while waiting to board a boat at the jetty.</p>, <p>During the election, a violent clash between supporters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Famgbe, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, led to the killing of a yet-to-be-identified man.</p>, <p>The clash, which involved suspected political thugs, result