867, 088 voters to cast ballot in Bayelsa guber poll, INEC declares

Dickson inaugurates Diri campaign team, office
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday declared that 867, 088 eligible voters are expected to vote in the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa State.

INEC’s National Commissioner for Bayelsa, Edo and Rivers State, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, disclosed this in Yenagoa at the official presentation of the voters register to 45 political parties contesting the election.

Agbamuche-Mbu, who presented soft copies of the register to the parties, explained that the document revealed the number of registered voters by polling unit, registration area, council areas and entire state.

She explained that the move was to enable eligible voters to check their details and know the location of their polling units.

On appointment of party agents, the commissioner enjoined all political parties to submit names of their agents not later than 14 days before the election.

She urged the political parties to submit the names of their agent on or before November 2, 2019, as the commission would not extend the deadline for submission.

Also, the Commission’s National Director, Voter Registry, Iro Gambo, said although 923, 182 voters were registered in Bayelsa at the end of the 2017 and 2018 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, only 867, 088 voters collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Besides, ahead of the governorship election Governor Seriake Dickson yesterday inaugurated the campaign team of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard bearer Douye Diri.

This is as the PDP said it has concluded plans to launch ‘Operation Wind Up All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Dickson urged the people of the state to reject the APC in the coming election as the party was fielding what he described as incompetent candidates.

Addressing a crowd of party faithful at official opening of the PDP Campaign Office/Secretariat in Yenagoa, he also enjoined the people of the state to resist APC’s attempt to take the state back to Egypt, saying the APC was presenting a ticket of militancy, terrorism and cultism and any government run by such ticket spells doom for the state.

While urging members of the PDP to remain steadfast, he stressed the significance of protecting the party’s platform, which he said, had produced several state and national political appointees including a former president of the country.

Responding, Diri said the upcoming election would be between those who are knowledgeable and those who lack it, just as he decried Federal Government and oil firms’ alliance of depriving the state and the Niger Delta region of the dividends of democracy in spite of the zone’s contributions to the nation’s resources.

He stressed that when elected into office, his administration would engage the oil companies for a better deal for the people.

“We are demanding more allocation, a fairer process of revenue allocation. We want a Governor that can communicate effectively and relate well with the international community. We are not going to communicate in Ijaw, let the campaign be issue based.”

Also speaking, state Chairman of PDP, Moses Cleopas, described Diri’s and Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor’s ticket as experienced as it has the capacity to deliver the dividends of democracy.

Cleopas, who also inaugurated the various campaign organs for the election, charged them to effectively mobilise people at the grassroots towards winning the governorship election.

In his acceptance speech, Director General of the PDP Campaign team, Dr. Nimbofa Ayawei, said the campaigns will be issue-based and expressed optimism that the people of Bayelsa would elect the best candidate.