By Samuel  Oyadongha

Yenagoa — Irate Ijaw youths, yesterday, barricaded the Mbiama section of the East-West Road connecting Bayelsa State, in protest over the outcome of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, worldwide election held in Yenagoa.

The protest which started in Yenagoa, followed the election and declaration of Mr Udengs Eradiri as the President of the foremost Ijaw youth body.

A trailer was used to barricade the road, as commuters coming from the Port Harcourt and Eastern part of the country could not access the Bayelsa stretch of the road.

Also, travelers from Delta and Bayelsa axis could not connect the Rivers stretch of the road.

The action of the youths caused serious gridlock on the route, as commuters were stranded.

Though Udengs Eradiri, a former Secretary General of IYC was adjudged winner of the contentious poll held in Yanegoa, Bayelsa State, by the Sunny Diritolofari-led Electoral Committee, the protesters alleged that the exercise was characterised by electoral fraud, purportedly perpetrated by top officials Bayelsa State Government with total number of voters exceeding the number of accredited voters.

Members of the Electoral Committee were secretly moved out of the venue of the poll at 10am under heavy security due to the protest and heightened tension.

According to the protesters, the delegate list was allegedly altered and large number of soldiers and police deployed to the venue to lock out original delegates for the poll.