By Kamil Opeyemi and Halimah Olamide
After seven hours of tension-soaked voting exercises across the three states of Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo, sorting and counting have commenced on Saturday as candidates await their fates.
In Bayelsa, sorting and counting of votes commenced in many polling units in Bayelsa after voting ended at 2.30pm.
At PU 10, Agric Meeting Hall, Attissa 1, Yenagoa, the voting process ended at 2.30pm while sorting of ballot papers commenced at 2.35pm in the presence of party agents and security personnel.
It was also ongoing at PU 05 Government House Agric, Attissa 1 Ward as at 2.55pm, and PU 047, Afin-Aken Play Ground III, Onopa, Attissa 1 Ward as at 3.02 pm.
Sorting of votes commenced at 3.07 pm at PU 016 Fakulu Primary School (West), Epie lll Ward, while sorting was concluded at PU 035, Ekeki Central Motor Park, Epie lll Ward, where recording of the result was ongoing.
Also at Fankien l and ll/Corpers Lodge Road, Epie lll WaWard Yenagoa, the sorting and counting had been concluded, while result was been uploaded to INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) as at 3.21pm.
The PU Assistant Presiding Officer at the polling unit, Richmond Awipi, told NAN they had successfully uploaded the unit’s election results to the IReV.
The same situation obtains in Kogi and Imo as agents have commenced counting and sorting.
Though candidate of the PDP in Kogi, Dino Melaye, did not vote in protests against what he called manipulations of the exercise, he won in his polling unit as the counting indicated Saturday afternoon.
His supporters were seen jubilating at the Open Space Iluafon, Polling Unit, Ayetoro Ward 1, Ijumu LGA, Kogi West Senatorial District.
While many observed he did not come out to vote, Melaye insisted that he voted.
Details later,…