TheCable

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the cancellation of election in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa state, consequently rendering the governorship election inconclusive.

Baritor Kpaghir, the resident electoral commissioner, announced the cancellation at the collation centre in Yenagoa, capital of the state.

Citing violence and irregularities, Kpaghir announced that a new date would be set for the rescheduled exercise.

The election of the local government was initially rescheduled from Saturday to Sunday as a result of violence.

Earlier, the returning officer had said he could not make a declaration on the election, since the number of registered voters in Southern Ijaw local government exceeded the gap between the two leading candidates, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While more than 120,827 voters were registered in the pending local government, Dickson had 105,748 votes and Sylva 71,794 after announcement of results in seven of the eight local governments in the state.