- Three policemen feared dead as boat capsizes in Bayelsa
Three policemen on election duty have reportedly drowned in Bayelsa State after a speedboat mishap.
Asinim Butswat, spokesman of the state police command, who confirmed the incident said, “I don’t know the number of officers onboard, but we fear some officers are missing.”
The officers were said to be on their way to Bayelsa-central senatorial district in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state when the boat they were travelling in capsized in the Southern Ijaw river.
Mike Okoli, the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, said 5,000 policemen were deployed for the bye-elections on the vacant senatorial seats of Bayelsa west and Bayelsa central.
- EFCC arrests Bauchi gov’s aide
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Abdon Dalla, special adviser on civil service and labour matters to the Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, for alleged vote buying.
Dalla was arrested after voting during the Dass bye-election in Bauchi.
The EFCC operatives reportedly recovered a N1.5 million from his car. He was handed over to the police for questioning.
After the incident, Suleiman Mohammed, chairman of Dass local government, said the money recovered from the governor’s aide was not his but meant for party agents.
He said, “I was told that one of our stakeholders was arrested and I came to sympathise with him –which is normal. I have not spoken with him but I heard that shortly after he addressed some journalists, he was arrested. The money is not his own, the money belongs to our party agents, presiding and returning officers.”
Uba Ahmed, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi, said his party could not be harassing the PDP because it is the ruling party in the state.
“It has everything in its power to do anything it wants. Our members have witnessed one form of harassment and intimidation or the other in the last one year, yet we have kept mute.”
- Low turnout of voters in Lagos
The Lagos East senatorial bye-election election in five local government areas of Shomolu, Kosofe, Ikorodu, Ibeju-lekki and Epe has witnessed a low turn-out of voters.
Some polling units (PUs) in Shomolu and Kosofe LGAs had low turn out around 9am.
Twelve candidates are contesting to fill up the Lagos east senatorial seat at the national assembly which became vacant after the death of Adebayo Osinowo in June. He died of Covid-19 complications.
The polling officer of PU 23 in Shomolu said: “Only five voters have registered so far since 8am. People are not coming out and the election ends by 2:30pm.”
Also, at PU five in Shomolu LGA there was only one voter while at PU 22, there was no voter.
“I haven’t recorded any voter at all. I don’t know why people are not coming out”, the polling officer of PU 22 said.
There is vehicular movement around the two LGAs and residents are going about their normal business despite the restriction of movement by the police in the area.
