Bayelsa poll fell below standard -TMG

The Transition Monitoring Group on Monday said the Bayelsa governorship poll fell below the global standards for credible elections.

The TMG Chairman, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, who presented its final statement on the election to journalists in Abuja, said the election witnessed widespread cases of ballot box snatching that hindered the counting and announcement of results at polling units in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state.

TMG also expressed disappointment at the inability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to conduct free and fair governorship election in Bayelsa, insisting that the election fell below the international standard.

INEC on Sunday announced Governor Seriake Dickson as winner of Bayelsa governorship election after collating results of the December 5, 2015 and the January 9 polls in the state.

Zikirullahi said the elections were characterized by violence, as the two major political parties – the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) struggled to outsmart each other.

He said INEC and security agencies failed the people of Bayelsa and called for a comprehensive audit of security operatives deployed for the poll.

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