Bayelsa State Governorship Election Holds Today; Bayelsa Votes Saturday! Dickson, Sylva, Who Wins?

Image source: PREMIUM TIMES

The Bayelsa State governorship election holds today, December 5. The election will be conducted in the eight local government areas of the state. According to the independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, 20 political parties are fielding candidates in the election. However the candidates of two dominant parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), namely the incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson and a former governor of the state, Timpre Sylva respectively would be the main contestants.

The new governor, the 5th since 1999, will assume office in February 2016.

The report continues:

Oil-rich Bayelsa State has three senatorial districts, five federal constituencies, 24 state constituencies, eight local government areas and 105 Wards.

There are 663,748 registered voters in the state. They are expected to vote in 1,806 Polling Units spread across the local government areas.

The breakdown based on gender distribution shows that men constitute 54 per cent while women make up 46 percent of the voting population.

The occupation distribution includes 250 students, 120,000 fishermen, 80,000 farmers, 70,000 civil servants and 10,000 housewives.

Already, the INEC has accredited 50 observer groups to observe the election out of which 43 are domestic and seven foreign.

Bayelsa Votes Saturday! Dickson, Sylva, Who Wins?

THISDAY reports that after weeks of intensive campaign laced with violence, the people of Bayelsa State will Saturday troop out to elect a new governor in an election expected to be a straight fight between the incumbent Governor, Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his predecessor, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

For most of Friday, tension remained very high in the state’s capital, Yenagoa, and other parts of the state as Dickson and Sylva made last minute efforts to win voters.

About 14,000 policemen drawn from the state and neighboring states are expected to provide security for today’s election.

As at yesterday evening, sensitive election materials were still being moved to some parts of the state by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, accompanied by security men.

At the commission’s headquarters, located along Swali Market Road, off Imgbi Roundabout, stern-looking men of the Mobile Police Force took over all roads leading to the building.
Entrance into the building itself was herculean, as everyone allowed in was subjected to serious scrutiny and search by security operatives.

Activities at the premises of the INEC building was frenetic and tense, as hundreds of  ad-hoc staff engaged by the electoral umpire were seen verifying their kits, while others already dressed in life jackets were seen in hired buses that will convey them to the waterside for onward movement to their duty posts.

Commenting on INEC's preparedness, Festus Mondibor, who hails from Nembe Local Government Area and an agent of Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), expressed satisfaction with INEC’s arrangement for the election.

"We were supposed to leave with the sensitive materials for Nembe yesterday but unfortunately some issues came up. Some of the party agents were of the opinion that we share the materials here while others insisted that we do that at the place. But along the line, we both agreed that to avoid causing any chaotic situation over there, we rather share the materials here," Mondibor said.

Prince Awotu Onepe, the agent of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), said: "For once, INEC has proven that they can conduct a free and fair election. We are satisfied with their performance thus far. All sensitive materials were inspected and have been moved out since yesterday with the exception of the one for Nembe Local Government Area which they are arranging to be moved out right now (yesterday).

"We pray and hope that we are going to have a free and credible election. The only area we are having problem is the issue of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), because we have information that some party members have flooded some areas with cloned cards.”

One of the local observers, Ezenwa Nwagwu, Chairman, Partners for Electoral Reforms and Co-convener, Say No Violence Campaign Nigeria, said they were fully prepared to monitor the election.

"Generally, we are very prepared. I think it is more interesting to have more and bigger citizen oversight.

"For Bayelsa, the warnings should go to the political parties because they don't seem to understand that election is a game; they seem to see it as war. They are generally becoming territorial; saying this is my territory and nobody should come this way. But it's not so.
"Politics is a competitive business, you allow your competitor to sell his ware and see if the people will buy because the ultimate judge is the people. That's what I am seeing. I am seeing a territorial battle. And you know this is an election of pride," he said. 

NSCDC deploys 15 trained sniffer dogs and 10,000 personnel…

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)  friday said that it had deployed 15 trained sniffer dogs and 10,000 personnel to different parts of the state for today’s election.
The Deputy Commandant-General, NSCDC, in charge of Operation, Nnamdi Nwaniyi is also in Bayelsa State to supervise the deployment of the personnel.

He said all arrangements had been made to ensure adequate protection of lives and properties during the election.

Nwaniyi said operatives were also deployed to protect public assets, even as the state’s Commandant of the NSCDC, Desmond Agu, assured that the election would be violence-free.
Police restrict movement…

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase has placed an order restricting movements within the boundaries of Bayelsa State with effect from 6.00am to 6.00pm today.            
On Kogi State supplementary election, the IG has also directed intra-city restriction of vehicular movement, in areas where supplementary election would be conducted from 6.00am to 6.00pm today.

In a release signed by the Force Spokesperson, Olabisi Kolawole, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Arase said persons on essential duties such as ambulance service providers, INEC officials on-duty, security men, accredited election monitors/observers and accredited journalists are not affected by this order.

While imploring the general public for their understanding and cooperation towards the enforcement of this order, the IG noted that the order was informed by the need to forestall plans by criminal elements to undermine the electoral process as gathered through intelligence reports.

The Police boss advised that travellers should take advantage of alternative routes to their destinations, where necessary within the hours of this restriction of vehicular movement on Saturday 5th December, 2015, as Police, complemented by the military and other security agents on duty at strategic points will subject motorists and other travellers plying the affected routes to civil and meticulous security search.

The IGP, while assuring all law-abiding  electorates of a secure and enabling environment to exercise their franchise, warned all security details to refrain from accompanying their principals and politicians to polling booths and collation centres during the election, as  only security personnel specially assigned for election duties must be seen within and around the election designated places.

Oyegun pleads for free poll…

The National Chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun has urged INEC to ensure a free and fair poll today in Bayelsa State.

He also enjoined all contenders to ensure that peace reign, adding that law enforcement agencies under the current dispensation know that their job is to protect all Nigerians.

Election observers commend Jonathan on credible poll…

Also yesterday, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan received commendations from the local and international observer groups accredited for today’s Bayelsa State governorship elections, who described him as a model for credible elections.
Representatives of the 50 local and international observer groups made this known yesterday during a courtesy call on the former President in his hometown, Otuoke, Bayelsa State.
The observers further praised Jonathan for leading the Commonwealth Observer Group to Tanzania’s Presidential elections, just as the former President noted that development follows credible and peaceful elections.

Ambassador Emmanuel Nkweke, who led the delegation, told Jonathan that they chose to visit him because of his position as former President and father of the people of Bayelsa State, adding that they were impressed by his achievements in organizing credible elections while in office.

Nkweke said: “I wish to say that you have taught us the language of transparent and credible elections. We believe that the time has come for the celebration of your legacies in transparent and peaceful elections. In fact, by next year, we should be celebrating one year of that feat.

“We want also to thank you for the exemplary leadership you displayed in Tanzania as chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group. It is an experience that we see as a standard in election monitoring. I was in Ghana for another assignment when the news of your excellent performance in that assignment was all over Africa and I was proud to tell my hosts in Ghana that you were my former President.”

In welcoming them, Jonathan charged the observers to be diligent in their assignment as a way of helping Nigeria boost its democratic credentials.

The former President said:  “I have to commend you for the courage and commitment to embark on this assignment. This is an isolated election.

Your job as an observer is not just to witness voting processes at the polling booths but also to follow up all the way to ensure that the tallying processes are credible.”