Bayelsa Tribunal Verdict: No Appeal, I’m Ready For Supplementary Poll — Agbedi

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Sagbama/Ekeremor federal constituency in the February 25, 2023 House of Representatives election in Bayelsa State, Hon. Fred Agbedi, said that he was ready for a supplementary election as declared by the National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, adding that he has no intention of appealing the judgement.

The Election Tribunal sitting in Yenagoa, the state capital, had on Thursday September 7, nullified the Sagbama/Ekeremor federal constituency election contested by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Michael Bless Olomu, and Hon. Fred Agbedi of the PDP.

The Tribunal also ordered the Independent Electoral Commission,(INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return given to Agbedi and conduct a fresh election in 21 Polling Units in Wards 3, 4, 5, and 11 of Sagbama local government area and 6 polling units in Wards 12 in Ekeremor local government area of the constituency with a total of 26,000 registered voters unlawfully excluded.

According to Agbedi, it was his personal decision not to go for an appeal, while expressing optimism that victory was sure for him as he was ready to go for the contest to harvest the pending 26,000 votes.

“For me as the party’s flag bearer, I am ready for the supplementary election, there is no appeal. That’s my personal decision. They said it is 26,000 votes, so we will go and harvest it.

“The court has given a judgement that in 90 days, go and conduct a supplementary election based on the 26,000 votes that are remaining. If you are a contestant, you prepare yourself to go for the contest.

“To all my supporters, I want all of them to remain calm, the PDP family should remain calm. We are ready to go for the election and victory is always sure,” Agbedi said.

Recall that the APC candidate, Michael Bless Olomu, had prayed the Tribunal to return him as the duly elected winner of the election following violence witnessed during the exercise.

He alleged that the violence orchestrated by the PDP affected five wards where elections did not take place but results were collated.