Parties Boycott Rescheduled House of Assembly Elections in Bayelsa

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From Segun James in Yenagoa
The Coalition of Political Parties in Bayelsa State (CPPBS) on Saturday boycotted today's rescheduled state assembly election, alleging collusion between the INEC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to undo other political parties.

The coalition, in a press release signed by the chairmen of 13 political parties including the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), among others, alleged that there is a "ploy to hoard all sensitive electoral materials, result sheets inclusive, such that, after the conduct of the election with the non-sensitive materials, the INEC staff, the electoral officers of the eight local governments and other adhoc staff in the state will converge at designated places to enter their manufactured results into the original result sheet in favour of the PDP candidates."

the PDP was also accused of haven perfected "an illicit arrangement to use the military to intimidate, harass and muzzle other candidates and genuine voters in a ploy to influence the election in favour of PDP candidates."

In the statement which was signed by Chief Timipa Orunimigha, APC; Gerebo Joseph! UDP; Abbey Daniel, APA; Oniekpe Prince, SDP and Owei Woniwei, AD among others, they leadership of the parties therefore boycotted the election.

They claimed that their reasons for the boycott have been communicated to the INEC's resident electoral commissioner who told them he has to power to stop the election, therefore it would go ahead as scheduled.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday presented  Certificates of Return to six out of the Eight elected members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the National Assembly elections in Bayelsa state.

The Six National Assembly members-elect, issued with the Certificate of Return, include the Senator-elect representing Bayelsa West Senatorial district, Deacon Foster Ogola, the Federal House of Representative members- elect representing Ogbia Federal Constituency, Sodaguwo Festus-Omoni; Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Chief Fred Agbedi; Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency, Hon.Douye Diri; Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency, Hon.David Henry Ofongo and Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency, Fouiyan Jephthah.

The two Senators-elect absent at the presentation ceremony were Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce and Senator Emmanuel Paulker.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) of the INEC in Bayelsa State,Mr. Barido Kpaghi,while speaking yesterday at the presentation ceremony held at the INEC state Secretariat, said inspite of the peaceful nature of the National Assembly elections that produced the elected Senators and House of Representative members,the recent bad blood and tension created during the state House of Assembly election is worrisome.

Kpaghi called on the Senators-elect and the Federal House of Representatives-elect to assist the commission in advocating for peaceful conduct of the rescheduled State Assembly election in Eight constituencies of the Kolokuma/Opokuma, Sagbama,Ekeremor Local Government areas of the State.

According to Kpaghi,"the commission is happy that the National Assembly election was peaceful and no casualty recorded.That was not the situation during the State House of Assembly election.We want to plead with you elected National Assembly members to tell your people that elections is not about do or die.Why is the House of Assembly election done as if it was a war.?"

The House of Representative member-elect, Hon.Douye Diri,commended the INEC for the conduct of the General elections in the state and promised the people of his constituent of proper representation.