There is mounting tension in the Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, as one of the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was abducted ahead of the election scheduled to hold today.
News About Nigeria gathered that INEC confirmed the abduction of its official on Friday.
Head of INEC voters’ registration in the state, Wilfred Ifogah, who disclosed this in a statement on his official X account, stated that the electoral official was abducted while he was waiting to board a boat at the jetty in the Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Wilfred also revealed that a boat carrying election personnel and materials to southern Ijaw Local Government Area, capsized and the result sheets to be used in the election today, were lost in the course of the accident.
He noted that the capsized boat was headed to registration area 17, which is Koluama, in southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.
He further expressed his happiness that no life was lost, noting that all the electoral officials, who were 12 in number and the boat operator were rescued.
However, the result sheets were lost in the incident, including power banks and personal properties of the personnels.
Wilfred maintained that the Electoral Commission was making efforts to ensure that elections are conducted in the affected areas.
He disclosed that 5,368 voters are registered in the affected areas and 5,311 PVCs have been collected.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, further revealed that the
“INEC also reports that its SPO assigned to registration area 06 (Ossioma) in Sagbama LGA was abducted while waiting to board at Amassoma jetty.
He, however, noted that the security agencies have been duly notified.
