By Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa-The refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to announce the result of Ekeremor constituency II re-run election into the Bayelsa State House of Assembly is now causing tension in the state.

The court of appeal sitting in Port Harcourt had ordered INEC to conduct a re-run between the candidates of Labour Party and Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD) after disqualifying the PDP candidate, Selekitimbi Ebiotu and disqualifying him from further participation in the polls.

Though the election was almost marred by violence in ward eight of the constituency the turn out in the area was impressive and free and fair.
It was learnt that the return officers were almost collating the result when the Resident Electoral Officer, Mr. Humphrey Nwageneh, ordered the stoppage of the collation until he got an order from INEC headquarters to go ahead with the announcement of the final result.

The REC ordered that the collation be moved to Yenagoa from Ekeremor where the election took place and that the result would be announced by 10:00am yesterday (Sunday).

But most newsmen and supporters of the Labour Party and Movement for the Restoration of Defence of Democracy that stormed INEC premises yesterday as early as 9.30am thinking the result of the re-run election would be announced, left disappointed when information filtered in that it had been postponed by the REC who is awaiting clearance from the commission’s headquarters.

Though attempts by journalists to get the comment of the REC and the commission’s public relations officer, Timidi Wariowei, proved abortive, chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Bobo Atario, expressed disappointment over the delay in the announcement of the result by INEC.