CLO Shows Concern Over April 6 Bayelsa Council Elections

Since the tenure of the elected local government chairmen and councillors in Bayelsa State expired in early 2022, the caretaker committees have been running the affairs of the eight local government areas and 105 wards in the state.

The Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission (BYSIEC), had conducted a local government election in the state on April 6, 2024, with the Peoples Democratic Party winning in all the eight local government areas. The chairmen and vice chairmen elected also received their certificates of return on Monday, April 15, 2024.

However, some political observers said that since the BYSIEC fixed the date of the election, the commission did not live up to its expectations in terms training of adhoc staff, regular meetings with stakeholders, media briefings and accreditation of election observers.

A member of the Civil Liberty Organization (CLO) and Human Rights Advocate, Comrade David West, who spoke to Leadership, said that from his observation, the local government election is just about confirmation or approval of the names the governor had released as candidates for the election.

He said, “The BYSIEC in my humble opinion is not living up to its expectation because if INEC as an institution or as an agency at the federal level, conducts or decides to act in this manner that BYSIEC is acting, I think there will be a lot cacophony from Nigerians all over.

“I also think that BYSIEC wants to conduct local government election and as we speak till today, I have not heard where adhoc staff are being trained, I have not heard where the commission is holding meeting with stakeholders like the media. Not only the media, what about the Civil Society Organizations? The election observers, have they being accredited?

“These are part of the preparation we are supposed to see from BYSIEC but at the moment, we have not seen any of these preparations from BYSIEC. Again, the chairman of BYSIEC have not come to address the good people of Bayelsa State in any of the media, nobody from the office has spoken to the public via the media to say this is the timetable, this is the preparation. So far so good, this is the money that was voted for this local government election. No briefing from any quarter.

“So for me, I think it is just all about confirmation or anointment or approval of the names the governor had released as candidates for the election. Otherwise, what BYSIEC is doing in my humble opinion, is wishy-washy show they are doing.”