The challenge of conducting a peaceful, free, fair and credible governorship election in Bayelsa State come November 16 was the highpoint of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s, recent mission to the state.
For three days, Chairman of the electoral umpire, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, was in Yenagoa, the state capital, trouble -shooting. He later met with stakeholders at an enlarged forum where he explained the extent of preparation, major concerns and expectations from the stakeholders. He was emphatic that the November election will be free, fair, transparent and credible.
But just as the INEC chairman was assuring the stakeholders of his commission’s commitment to a free, fair and credible election in Bayelsa, the state governor, Seriake Dickson, countered at a separate forum stating his disagreement over INEC’s impartiality.
Of course, the nightmare of both the 2015 governorship election and that of the 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections provided the basis for understanding the position of INEC and why it was in a hurry to come to Bayelsa to meet with the stakeholders and indeed why the November election must be different in process and outcome.
The forum brought together military top brass, police chiefs, commanders of the major para-military agencies, chairmen of political parties and their candidates, traditional rulers and the civil society.
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In his address, Mahmood, while calling for cooperation to ensure a peaceful and successful process, noted the importance of the election, which, he said, was not only in the context of the state but also for the nation.
He pointed out that unlike 2015 when there were only 20 candidates, now there are 45 candidates and with their deputies totaling 90. Still, out of this number, only two had contested before for the post.
“So, 88 candidates are fresh and new. I hope that the newness of the candidates will turn a new leaf in the way elections are conducted in Bayelsa State,” he said.
He said that INEC was largely ready for the election, stating that of the 14 activities identified for the electoral process, 10 had been accomplished with the presentation of the register of voters to all political parties and candidates in the election.
On the technical issue of card reader malfunctioning or being inadequate, he promised that there would be ample deployment, adding that learning from the 2019 experience, INEC would be getting additional smart card readers from one of the neighbouring states for training.
He said that all non-sensitive materials for the election had been delivered except the sensitive materials which would be delivered close to the election.
He, however, harped on early submission of the list of polling agents by the political parties.
According to him, the law requests that political parties must submit the list of their poling agents to the electoral officers of the commission at local government level two weeks to the election.
He observed that failure to do so in the past had led to complaints by political parties that security agencies turned away their agents from the polling units and the collation centres.
“This is simply that we have not accredited them, they have not submitted their lists. So, don’t go with the tags of political parties, you need the ID of the commission, which accredits your agents for both the polling units and the various collating centres. So, submit the list of your agents two weeks to the election as required by law,” Mahmood said.
In an interview at the venue, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Douye Diri, gave kudos to INEC for being time conscious by organising the stakeholders meeting which he said was “interactive and educating sessions.” He hoped that more of such interactions would hold before the election.
Diri disagreed with the notion that Bayelsa State is a violent state, stating that it was only during election that such act of violence occurs and that INEC knows the perpetrators.
During elections, he said, there are recurring parties that are known for violence and INEC and the security agencies know it.
“So, I beg to disagree with you that Bayelsa State is known for violence. Those characters and parties that perpetrate violence are known to you and it is in your place this time around to deal with those characters and those parties. We are not violent, we are peace loving people and once you bring those characters under control, I am very sure that the elections of November 16 will be very peaceful,” Diri said.
He said he believed in peace and working in harmony and this, he asked his supporters to emulate.
“Well, I said earlier the task is more on the shoulders of INEC and particularly the security agencies. But again, as citizens, we also have a role to play. For elections to be free and fair, as citizens, like what INEC is doing today, the stakeholders and political parties have duties to educate their followership.
“And so, if all of us are aware of our rights, the dos and don’ts of the electoral process and electoral laws and we don’t take these laws into our hands, clearly the election will be free and fair.
“So, it is actually on the citizens to ensure there is a free and fair election. But as the DIG has just told us that they are aware that some people have started sewing military and police uniforms, that’s alarming. So my charge is that the police should comb all the creeks, the rivulets and other places that this is happening and nip it in the bud before the date of the elections,” Diri added.
But just as the otherwise successful forum was edging to a close, tempers rose when the Chairman of Bayelsa Elders Forum, Dr. Francis Duokpola, drew the attention of the INEC chairman to those he said were still living as IDPs in neighbouring villages having been chased out of their residences at Nembe Bassambiri during the last election.
Duokpola was yet to conclude his submission when Dr. Otitio suddenly shouted him down, claiming he lied. Other APC sympathizers also joined Otiotio to condemn Duokpola, leading to a rowdy affair. At that point, Mahmood called for the national anthem and the forum ended abruptly.
To some observers, the incident was an apt scene to have been witnessed by the INEC and police leadership, which they said mirrored the political temperature in the state ahead of the November election. It was indeed a good thing that Mahmood had promised to return to the state with the Inspector General of Police before the election to further preach the cause of peace.
In a related development, while Mahmood and the state REC, Monday Udom Tom were assuring the stakeholders of a free and fair election, the state governor, Seriake Dickson, on the same day, held a media chat where he accused INEC of not giving a convincing re-assurance of impartiality in the November election in the state.
He said that it was rather worrisome and shocking that INEC betrayed the confidence of the Bayelsa people by its collusion with security agencies to rig the last Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
The governor’s comments were contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Fidelis Soriwei.
Dickson challenged INEC and other state institutions to exhibit a high sense of professionalism by conducting free, fair, credible and peaceful election in accordance with the expectations of the people of the state.
He alleged that INEC declared manipulated results in Nembe Bassambiri when security agencies colluded with thugs to chase away voters during the last election to announce fake results.
The governor, however, called on the opposition APC and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, to collaborate with the state government to ensure peaceful election rather than promoting political violence.
He stated: “The activities of INEC has not given confidence to Bayelsans. People were driven away from Nembe Bassambiri and they allowed materials to go into volatile areas to declare manipulated results.
“INEC should do what is right rather than colluding with undesirable elements to perpetrate crime.
“The security agencies should do the right thing to return the displaced people of Nembe Bassambiri to their community so that they can vote in this election.
“The leader of the APC, Chief Timipre Sylva, should renounce political violence. He should collaborate with me to ensure free polls. He should respect our people; he should fear God and not take Bayelsans for granted.
“I condemn the reign of brigandage in Bayelsa East Senatorial District. Those who carry out the crime are not facing trial and that could have a multiple effect on other areas.”
Dickson described the APC as a party in distress as he challenged the governorship candidates to hold healthy debates on issues of governance to enable the electorate assess their capabilities.
