200 level student drowned during Bayelsa election

The Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission on Monday disclosed that a 200 level student of the Niger Delta University, Miss. Teller Francis, drowned during the Saturday local government elections in the state.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, the Chairman of BYSIEC, Mr Blessing Izagara, said Francis, a student of Political Science, died after a boat mishap.

According to him, the boat the late Francis was traveling on capsized along the Akasa River in Brass Local Government Area of the state.

Izagara, however, blamed the incident on the refusal of the deceased to wear a life vest.

“The deceased refused to wear a life jacket. Even when she was compelled to put on the jacket at a Nigerian Navy checkpoint, she removed it later, just before the mishap”, he said.

Izagara, who announced partial results of the elections, said the PDP candidates emerged chairmen-elect in the eight local government areas of the state.

But he caused controversies when he declared the sole candidate for the chairmanship election in Ogbia Local Government Area winner without any record of votes cast.