Stakeholders task INEC on credible, free guber poll in Bayelsa
By Akam James, Yenagoa
Politicians, civil right activists and other stakeholders in Bayelsa state yesterday marked the 11th anniversary of the annulment of the April 14, 2007 governorship election in the state, challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the November 2 state governorship election is acceptable, credible and free.
The stakeholders made up the former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigerian (ACN), Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, the former Secretary of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) and state Coordinator of ERA, Comrade Morris Alagoa and the former Senior Special Assistant to the governor, Comrade Tony Ile, urged INEC to allow the will of the people to prevail during the coming governorship poll.
Prince Ebitimi Angbare, who was the petitioner and candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), said though the annulment of the April 15 governorship election marks 11 years since the Appeal Court judgment that annulled the governorship election of April 14, 2007 in Bayelsa state.
“As the petitioner in that case, my sole purpose of going the whole hog was to end impunity on the side of INEC, by reviewing the conduct of elections. Since then, it is saddening to note that elections in the state have taken even more dangerous dimensions.
“As we work towards the governorship election of November 2 election, l call on all well -meaning Bayelsans to organize and not agonize; we must get INEC to deliver a credible and acceptable election. INEC must take advantage of the stand-alone nature of this election to satisfy us, this should be our minimum demand,” he stated.
Also speaking, Morris Alagoa, noted the annulment which occurred due to the improper conduct of INEC “was what has kept Bayelsa where it is now; where it cannot join in the general elections when it is being conducted in other states.
“The past experience favoured the person who was sailing as governor before the re-run and it extended his tenure. And that is not proper. Again, it would be nice that all issues relating to disagreements are addressed before the person declared as winner assumes office as governor.”
Said Tony Ile: “My advice to INEC is for the commission to conduct free, fair and credible election without favouring any party. I also urge them to put pressure on the executive arm of government to sign the Electoral Act amendment bill before the president to allow electronic transmission of results and other vital clauses that will aid our electoral process and are in tandem with global best practices.
“Lastly, the commission should sound a note of warning to overzealous security agencies, most especially the military whose bad conduct as noticed in Rivers state and other states resulted in the deaths of innocent persons.”
