JUST IN: INEC Officials Held Hostage in Bayelsa LGA Sparks Electoral Uproar

In a concerning turn of events, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reported on Sunday that several of its officials were being held captive in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The situation, flagged by INEC as a threat to the integrity of the ongoing electoral process, has triggered a call for urgent intervention from security agencies, including the police, to secure the release of the electoral officers.

The hostage situation in Brass LGA has been denounced by INEC as profoundly detrimental to the credibility of the electoral process. The commission fervently urged security agencies to swiftly ensure the safe release of the officials.

This development coincides with widespread protests erupting in Bayelsa State, particularly in the oil-rich South-South region, amid allegations of result manipulation during the collation of votes from the November 11, 2023 election. Notably, state commissioners and lawmakers participated in the protests, asserting that elections did not transpire in the Nembe area of the state.

Adding fuel to the fire, Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri, representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accused Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, of orchestrating electoral violence in the Nembe-Bassambiri area. Diri emphasized Sylva’s historical involvement in violent incidents during elections, branding him as the driving force behind the unrest in Nembe-Bassambiri.

Timipre Sylva, a former Bayelsa governor and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, has been embroiled in allegations of electoral malpractice and violence in the region. The situation remains tense, as concerns mount over the safety of INEC officials and the validity of the electoral process in Bayelsa State.