Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Senator arrested for declaring himself winner!

State Security Service (SSS) operatives in Bayelsa State yesterday quizzed Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

Lokpobiri was arrested shortly after an interactive session with reporters at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Yenagoa.

Lokpobiri had declared himself winner of last Saturday's elections even as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was still investigating irregularities reported in Ekeremo/Sagbama Senatorial district.

INEC, in a statement, said results declared in respect of Bayelsa West Senatorial District and Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency were declared in error.

The agency said the results were still being reviewed because of widespread irregularities reported during the elections.

The statement added that elections did not hold in four wards in Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency, adding that there were cases of irregularities in some wards which made elections in the area inconclusive.

But Lokpobiri said elections were held in Ekeremo and Sagbama and threatened to sue INEC and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Owoye Azazi, whom he accused of working for Labour Party (LP).

His words: "INEC has no right to review elections. It has no right to rely on security report. INEC is acting on the NSA's report. The NSA is working for LP; NSA has no legal authority to veto what INEC has done."

He said INEC's retuning officer in the district declared him winner.

"If INEC attempts to review the elections in Ekeremo; I will not hesitate to go to court."

INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega ordered for the arrest and prosecution of a serving Senator in Bayelsa State over alleged hijacking of election materials.

But Lokpobiri denied ever hijacking election materials. He said it was all lies and rumours by those opposed to his second tenure ambition.

Lokpobiri has since been released after pressures from Abuja.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency also declared himself winner contrary to INEC'S directives.

INEC has released the results of Bayelsa East and Brass/Nembe senatorial districts.

PDP's Clever Ikisikpo defeated LP's Navy Capt. Walter Feghabo with 64,342 votes. 

In Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency, Afongha Jepther of PDP won with 51,224 votes. LP had 7,650. Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) 2,268 and Congress for Progressive Change( CPC)  479. 

Other results released are Yenagoa/Kolokuma Opokuma Federal Constituency, where PDP's Warman Ogoriba had the highest votes of 19,340; LP 17,682; ACN 383; SDMP 294; CAP 269. 

In Ogbia Federal Constituency, Nadu Karimu of PDP won with 18,315, LP  7,363, and MPPP 163 votes.

Source: Click link below
»http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/33526.html


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