Bayelsa Rerun: Police Restricts Movement On Bayelsa Waterways

Ahead of today’s rerun elections in Southern Ijaw State Constituency 4 and Ekeremor State Constituency 3, the Bayelsa State Police Command has ordered security agencies to enforce the restrictions of movement of boats and all river craft activities in the waterways leading to the affected communities, from 7pm yesterday to 7pm today.

The command reiterated its commitment to provide an enabling environment for the peaceful and hitch-free conduct of the polls.
Its Spokesman, Asinim Butswat, in a statement in Yenagoa, said the command had has put adequate measures in place to ensure free, fair and violence-free exercise.

It said any person or group of persons who violates the order would be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
It also ordered all policemen attached to Very Important Personalities (VIPs) not to be sighted near any polling booth, while officers are to follow the rule of law and limit their actions to protection of life and property and safety for all electoral officers and materials.

The statement said undercover operatives have been stationed to monitor activities of policemen and electoral officials deployed for the election exercise.

It urged the electorate in the affected constituencies to come out and cast their votes for candidates of their choice.In Southern Ijaw State Constituency 4, the embattled former Speaker of the State Assembly, Konbowei Benson, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would slug it out with Ebifeghe Orunimighe of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Benson lost his seat last December, following the nullification of his election by the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, in a suit filed by Orunimighe.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its preparedness for the polls.
Head, Voter Education and Public Relations Officer of the commission in the state, Timidi Wariowei, disclosed this in Yenagoa on Thursday.

He said electoral materials for the exercise had been conveyed to Yenagoa from Abuja and were to be distributed to the various registration centres yesterday.

Wariowei said INEC was working with the Police and military to provide security, while arrangements had been made for gunboats that would escort the materials to the centres.
He also said accreditation of voters and voting would be done simultaneously from 8am in the morning.