In Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, elections have been postponed in 141 polling places by Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
When Yakubu gave journalists a briefing at the collation center in Abuja, he said that the election had been disrupted in Wards 4, 6, 8, and 14, and that “40 out of 141 polling units have materials intact.”
He said that the situation is now under control and that the commission decided to postpone the election after INEC ad hoc staff said they were nervous about returning to run the election.
The electoral body has decided that the election will be held tomorrow, February 26, according to the chairman of INEC.
Yakubu stated, “We have a situation in Bayelsa state, particularly in the capital of Yenogoa, where the process was disrupted in four wards — wards 4,6,8,14 involving 141 polling units.”
“The situation is calm enough for us to continue the process. We remobilized security. However, some of the youth corps members expressed reservations about returning.
“So we met with security agencies and decided that voting will take place tomorrow morning in these 141 polling units where the materials are actually intact.” Keep in mind that we are also running elections for senatorial and federal constituencies in addition to the presidential race.
Therefore, it is beneficial to recover and hold elections so that the procedures can be completed. The youth corps members acting as presiding officers and other members of the commission are in agreement that the elections should take place in the morning tomorrow.
He went on to say that thugs attacked various polling places and stole at least eight BVAS machines from various parts of the country.
But Yakubu said that backup BVAS machines were provided and that voting was delayed in some of Niger State because of a bandit attack there.
He also admitted that electoral officials and supplies had arrived late in numerous polling units across Nigeria.