Niger Delta

Bayelsa Polls: INEC Declares 33,606 Uncollected PVCs … As Key Contestants’ Areas Lead In Non-collection

Published

2 years ago

September 11, 2023

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said there are about 33,606 uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in Bayelsa State.

The Tide gathered last Thursday in Yenagoa, the state capital, at the maiden press briefing held by the newly redeployed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to the State, Barr. Obo Effanga.

“Upon assumption of office last week, I met with the State’s Commissioner of Police”, he said.

He reiterated that he would continue consultations with critical stakeholders and other security formations, as well as meet with the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to foster an harmonious working relationship as the elections draw closer.

“I’ve also met with all the governorship candidates and state Chairmen of the 16 political parties which fielded candidates for the November 11th, 2023 Bayelsa State Governorship polls”, the REC added.

Effanga emphasized that he had at the various meetings restated INEC’s commitment in conducting credible polls.

“I’ve told political parties and candidates for the November 11th Bayelsa State Governorship election that the INEC here in the state under my stewardship is and shall continue to be an unbiased electoral umpire, so any candidate or party which desires to win the election must have voters to vote for him or her and their parties to win”, Effanga restated.

The electoral chief, who also indicated plans by the Commission to commence the issuance of uncollected permanent voters cards (PVCs) to their respective owners, noted that about 15 Registration Areas (RAs) have in excess of over 33,606 uncollected PVCs in the state.

“Local Government Areas which have more than 500 uncollected PVCs would do the issuances in the affected RAs (wards). There’re 105 wards in Bayelsa State.

“The collection of the PVCs would last for one month. It would begin on Monday, 11th, September through October 9th, 2023.

“Those with less than 500 uncollected PVCs would have theirs at their respective Local Government Areas’ INEC offices”, he emphasized.

Meanwhile, findings by The Tide, which monitored the briefing, shows that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva’s Brass Local Government Area has a total of 5273 uncollected PVCs.

Okpoama, ward 4 (RA 4), the former Minister of State, Petroleum Resources’ immediate Registration Area (RA), has 4,236, while the ward of the incumbent Speaker of the State House of Assembly, the Rt. Hon.Abraham Ingobere’s Sangana, Ward 10 (RA 10), also of the Brass council area, has 1,037. This makes it a total of 5273 for the Brass Local Government Area.

Ogbia Local Government Area, which shares same Senatorial District (Bayelsa East Senatorial District) with Sylva and Speaker Ingobere’s Brass Local Government Area, on the other hand, has 533 uncollected PVCs.

Ogbia Town, Ward one (RA 01) has 533, while Otakeme, Ward 12 (RA 12), has a total of 545.

Nembe Local Government Area, the LGA of origin of the immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (rtd), and the State Chairman, APC, Dr Dennis Otiotio, is also in the Eastern Senatorial District of the state.

INEC said, Nembe, Ogbolomabiri III (RA 03), has a total of 694 uncollected PVCs, making a total of 7,045 uncollected PVCs for the State’s Eastern Senatorial District.

The electoral umpire, however, did not state the number of uncollected PVCs in former Governor (now Senator Henry Seriake Dickson’s Sagbama Local Government Area of origin.

The Tide gathered that Bayelsa West Senatorial District Comprises Ekeremor and Sagbama Local Government Areas.

Ekeremor, which The Tide further learnt is the Local Government Area of origin of the trio of the present Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, State PDP Chairman, Chief Solomon Agwana, and former Deputy Governor of the state, Chief Peremobowei Ebebi, according to the data by INEC, has a total of 1,233 uncollected PVCs in ‘Oporomor one’ (RA 06)

The Tide reports that further findings through the INEC statistics showed that Kolokuma/Opokuma, the Local Government Area of origin of the incumbent Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has 519 uncollected PVCs in Kaiama, ward 4 (RA 04), while in the governor’s immediate Registration Area, the Sampou/Kalama, Ward 6 (RA 06), has 3,133 uncollected PVCs.

Other Wards with uncollected PVCs in the Governor’s Local Government Area are, Kaiama/Olobiri, Ward 5 (RA 05), which has 609.

The Tide reports that the duo of Southern Ijaw and Yenagoa Local Government Areas, both of Governor Diri’s Central Senatorial District, cumulatively have the largest number of uncollected PVCs.

INEC gave the figures of uncollected PVCs in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Olodiama II (RA 04), as 1,187.

The Tide futher learnt that Southern Ijaw is the Local Government Area of origin of the APC’s Deputy Governorship candidate for the State’s 2023 governorship polls, Mr Jushua McIver.

Similarly, of all the afore mentioned Local Government Areas of the state with uncollected PVCs, Yenagoa Local Government Area, headquarters of the State’s Central Senatorial District, which is allegedly a PDP stronghold, has the highest number of uncollected PVCs.

In Yenagoa, according to INEC, Atissa one (RA 01) has 2,721; Atissa three (RA 03), 1,444; Epie one (RA 04), 4,319; Epie two (RA 05), 5,501; and Epie three (RA 06), 5,895, making a cumulative total of 25,328 uncollected PVCs for the Bayelsa State Central Senatorial District alone.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

4 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

4 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

4 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.