MINISTER'S HOUSE RIDDLED WITH BULLETS AS BAYELSA VOTES

The country home of the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, in Ekeremor , Bayelsa State, was yesterday riddled with bullets by thugs in one of the several cases of violence during the governorship election.
Lokpobiri who doubles as the Director-General of Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation, was inside the building, along with members of his family and associates during the shooting.
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva, accused leaders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of engineering the attack with hoodlums brought in from neighbouring Rivers and Delta states.
He alleged that the thugs were deployed to kill him on Friday night but failed in the process.
The saving grace, according to him, was their inability to gain entry into the minister’s compound and the intervention of soldiers from Operation Pulo (Oil) Shield (OPS) and policemen.
It was gathered last night that the election in Southern Ijaw local government area might be cancelled as a consequence of the violence in the area.
Four people were killed in the violence when militants attempted to disrupt the distribution of electoral materials.
As at 1:30 p.m. yesterday, no polling unit was opened in Southern Ijaw LGA for the electoral process, out of fear of violence.
Sylva lamented what he referred to as sponsored attacks on APC members by the PDP, saying it was obvious the PDP and its government were not ready for the election.
He said a government official was going everywhere in Yenagoa with armed thugs, adding that the police had intervened to restore order in the capital city.
Sylva said the APC had told the police before the election that PDP and Bayelsa government officials were stockpiling arms for the poll.
He said though the police had their informants, they should have acted on the intelligence provided by the APC.
He dismissed allegation by Governor Dickson that PDP members were not allowed to vote in Brass LGA.
Dickson of the PDP, who voted at Unit 4, Ward 2 of his Toru-Orua hometown in Sagbama LGA of Bayelsa state at 3:45 p.m. yesterday, stated that he was not satisfied with the electoral process.
He accused Lokpobiri and the Federal Government of manipulating the electoral process, through killing and intimidation of his supporters, while thanking Bayelsans for remaining committed to democracy.