2023: Protest In Bayelsa Over Shortage Of Ballot Papers

BY AMOS OKIOMA

There is protest in Agudama Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State over shortage of about 48,500 ballot papers meant for the Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency elections.

The protesters who gathered at Ward 4, Epie 1, which has 47 unites, covering Agudama and Akenpai Communities, are insisting that elections would not hold in there area until the missing ballot papers are replaced.

Speaking to journalists over the development, the Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO), Austin Atekere, said that when he and his colleagues received the materials from the INEC headquarters in Yenagoa, they were not sorted until they got to the ward headquarter.

He said “only for us to get to our headquarter to realize that all the ballot papers for other elections were complete, except for that of the House Representatives election. The ward has about 50,000 registered voters but we were given only 1500 ballot papers.

READ ALSO: General elections: Intimidation, violence characteris

“As I speak with you, people have dragged me about and almost beat me up but the quick intervention of community members saved my life. However, we have contacted INEC and they have informed us that the situation is not peculiar to Agudama/Akenpai alone.”