Protests following the shortage of materials caused the postponement

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has postponed till today, Sunday, the presidential and National Assembly polls in Yenagoa LGA of Bayelsa State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC announced the postponement in a statement issued on Saturday night and signed by Wilfred Ifoga, the commission's Head of Voter Education and Publicity.

The affected registration areas are Epie I and Epie III, Gbarain II and Okordia.

NAN quoted INEC as saying that presidential and National Assembly elections, which were held nationwide on Saturday, could not be conducted in the four areas of Yenagoa because the process was disrupted by protesters.

NAN learnt that there was an acute shortage of ballot papers in the areas which prompted voters to stage a protest at the INEC Yenagoa office.

When NAN visited the Registration Area Centre (RAC) at St. Peters on Saturday morning, INEC officials discovered that only 1,500 ballot papers were available for about 50,000 potential voters and this prompted a protest.

The security officials at the centre fired warning gunshots to disperse the crowd but to no avail as the defiant protesters insisted that it was their civic right to vote.

Appeals by INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Bayelsa, Alex Hart, and the Commissioner of Police who addressed the crowd failed as they occupied the INEC office.