An Ijaw leader and national secretary of the South South Peoples Assembly, Ayakeme Whiskey, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for cancelling governorship election conducted in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State.

Whiskey who spoke on Tuesday said that the cancellation was justified because the poll was marred by violence and electoral malpractices.

INEC cancelled the election in the local government following the breakout of violence, attended by ballot snatching and intimidation of voters, thus effectively making the poll inconclusive.

Many people, including the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the election, Timipre Silva, have condemned the cancellation of the election, but Whiskey said that an election that was characterised by so much violence cannot be allowed to stand.

“The cancellation is a step in the right direction that they were sufficiently briefed on the level of insecurity and violence, how electoral materials were carted away, including the intimidation and abduction of INEC officials,” he stated.

“The decision of INEC to cancel that election given all the scenarios, given all the negative reports was a step in the right direction, and I applaud INEC for exercising that wisdom” the Ijaw leader said.

“These acts cannot qualify an election to be free fair and credible. As a country, we must progress towards meeting international standards in the conduct of elections.

Whiskey, however, condemned the role played by the military in the cancelled poll, advising that INEC desist from allowing soldiers partake in future elections.