Bayelsa: Abducted INEC officer regains freedom

• The official who was forcefully taken by his captors on Friday was waiting to board a boat at the Amassoma Jetty headed to the Registration Area Centre – 06 (Ossioma) in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, official, Supervisory Presiding Officer abducted on the eve of the governorship election has regained his freedom.

The official who was forcefully taken by his captors on Friday was waiting to board a boat at the Amassoma Jetty headed to the Registration Area Centre – 06 (Ossioma) in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Some hours after the abduction, the electoral body confirmed the release of its official.

The Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Bayelsa, Mr Wilfred Ifogah, made this known in a statement to newsmen on Saturday.

Expressing gratitude, Ifogah, thanked those who showed concern and contributed towards the release of the INEC official. He added that the officer is doing fine.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has uploaded results of Saturday’s governorship elections from Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States on the INEC Election Viewing Portal (IREV) as promised by the commission.

The elections in most of the polling units across the state closed at 2.30pm while election extended beyond the period in some others.

Checks revealed that results are uploaded on the IREV directly from the polling unit after collation and announcement of such results by the Presiding Officer.

As of 7.00pm on Saturday, results from about 1680 representing 74.87 percent of results from the 2242 polling units where election took place in Bayelsa State have been uploaded on the IREV.

The result however showed that results from all the polling units in Governor Douye Diri’s Kolokoma/Opokuma local government have been uploaded on the IREV.

In Imo state, results from 3489 out of the 4720 polling units where elections took place, representing 73.33 percent of results have been uploaded, while in Kogi state, results from 2362 out of 3508 polling units representing 67.33 percent have been uploaded.

Chairman of the INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu had assured results from the governorship elections will be uploaded directly from the polling units to the IREV after announcement of such results at the various polling units.