Bayelsa guber poll: Politicians, activists task INEC on fair conduct

Stakeholders in Bayelsa State comprising Politicians, Civil Right Activists and other marked the 11 years anniversary of the annulment of the April 14, 2007 Governorship election in the state.

They also challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the November 2nd date fixed for the governorship election in the state is acceptable, credible and without rancour.

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 Organisation (CLO) and State Coordinator of ERA Comrade Morris Alagoa, and the Former Senior Special Assistant to the state government 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 15th of April marks 11 years of the appeal court judgment that annulled the governorship election of 14th April 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 in November, I 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 standalone nature of this election to satisfy us, this should be our irreducible minimum demand,” he said.

On his part, Civil Activist, Comrade Morris Alagoa, noted the annulment, which occurred due to the improper conduct of INEC, “was that incident which has kept Bayelsa where it is now; where instead of joining in the general election when it is being conducted in others states. Petitions thereto should be expeditiously treated at the tribunals to as not to allow a repeat of the past.”

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