Yenagoa—Ahead of the 2022 Local Government election in Bayelsa State, some stakeholders have charged the state government on the need for a free, fair and credible exercise.
In a chat with our reporter, Comrade Alagoa Morris, environmental rights activist and field officer of the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), called for the elections to be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, “since the federal government funds the 774 Local Government Areas in the country, the electoral body should conduct an impartial, crisis-free and fair election.”
He charged aspirants and their supporters to conduct themselves civilly in the upcoming election.
“While no one goes into competition expecting failure, the spirit of the good sportsman should be upheld by all,” he said.
Alagoa who charged security agencies to ensure that electorates go about their democratic duties without being intimidated by anyone called on Bayelsans and political stakeholders to work towards a healthy democratic culture.
The rights activist further called for perpetrators of election violence to be “identified and prosecuted accordingly to serve as deterrence.”
On his part, Raynus Ebiegberi, who is the youth affairs coordinator of the Akassa Development Foundation (ADF), admonished the Bayelsa State Governor to be apolitical as regards the election.
He called on officials of the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission (BYSIEC) not to be stooges to politicians.
“Governor Douye Diri should remove his hands (if he planned to do so) and allow the people to choose who to lead them.
“The commission should be truly independent and conduct hitch-free elections,” he urged.
Mangrovepen.ng gathered that Local Government Council election in Bayelsa State is slated for May 14, 2022.
