The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday raised the alarm that its staff deployed to distribute electoral materials at Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State were being held hostage.
Sagbama is the home local government of incumbent Governor Seriake Dickson and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s governorship election.
Speaking on a live programme on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Saturday morning, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, said staff deployed to convey materials to Sagbama were confronted by some gunmen.
According to Osaze-Uzzi the staff had to take refuge at the local government headquarters.
He said another team was held hostage Saturday morning as they made to distribute materials, adding that security agents had been contacted to help rescue the electoral officials.
“We are asking that a gunboat be sent to the place immediately,” the INEC spokesperson said, adding that “If necessary, they will have to be evacuated and brought back to Abuja.”
But the Deputy Inspector-General of Police overseeing the election, Argungu Hashimu, said the police was on top of the situation.
“We are taking care of everything,” said Hashimu, who is also a guest on the NTA programme. “We are the ones on ground and we are doing our job.”
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