Security and infrastructural development are two important issues that would dominate the 11 November,2023 governorship election in Bayelsa state. And, those contesting and prospective voters in the election are not pretending on the serious role of security in the forth coming election. In 2019, security was so serious an issue that that a coalition of
Security and infrastructural development are two important issues that would dominate the 11 November,2023 governorship election in Bayelsa state. And, those contesting and prospective voters in the election are not pretending on the serious role of security in the forth coming election.
In 2019, security was so serious an issue that that a coalition of election observers accredited by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) alleged that the November 16 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa state was marred by violence and ballot box snatching.
The head of the coalition, Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness, Mr. Gabriel Nwambu, said the election fell short of the fundamental human rights of citizens of the state as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
Mr. Nwambu noted that in any democracy, the protection of rights of citizens is the primary function of the government and emphasised that what the coalition saw in some local government councils in Bayelsa state was simply an aberration to constitutional provision, which was grossly not in consonance with the provision of the Electoral Act 2010 as Amended.
“We observed that elections did not hold in some parts of Bayelsa State as it was grossly disrupted by violence, intimidation and ballot box snatching. In some instances, there was a complete absence of voting materials and ad hoc staff.
“On Wednesday the 13th of November, 2019, a political party was having a campaign in Nembe LGA. Some blood- thirsty gun men came to the venue and opened fire without any provocation whatsoever, killing scores of law-abiding Nigerians. The same gunmen prevented election from holding in Nembe LGA. Till the time of this briefing, there have been no arrests, no prosecution, thus increasing the impunity associated with committing such a heinous crime as the perpetrators are largely known and seen moving freely in such communities,” he said.
“There is a disconnect between the security architecture of the 2019 Governorship election in Bayelsa state and the reality on ground as observed by our coalition as violent crime, conspiracy to sabotage the nation state of Nigeria was displayed without recourse to laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria nor the Fundamental Human Rights of citizens.
The state governor who is the Chief Security Officer of the state Gov. Douye Diri passionately asked politicians in the state not to prepare for violence in the 11 November 2023 governorship election, stressing that the poll is about votes and not guns.
The governor spoke during the 25th State Security Council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, last Friday. He said: “In Bayelsa, I assure my opponents that we are not going to arm-twist anyone. In the same vein, no opponent should threaten mayhem and violence.
“We want a Bayelsa State, which is the centre and Jerusalem of all Ijaws, to play that role of not only tolerating ourselves but also visitors who come here to contribute to the growth and the development of this state.
Security issues aside, for electorates in the forth coming governorship election in Bayelsa state, identifying the serious contenders to the seat of government from pretenders is as simple as ABC. The 11 November 2023 governorship election which from all indications promises to be a keen contest among the three leading candidates in the state.
Although 20 governorship candidates have been cleared to take part in the 11 November election,three candidates have been able to show that they are indeed prepared to be the state’s number one citizen.
The candidates are: Senator Duoye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is the current governor, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate,Mr. Timipre Marlin Sylvia and a popular youth leader and candidate of the Labour Party ( LP),Mr. Eradiri Udengmobofa Udengs.
The three are said to have presence in the 2,244 polling units in the state. Bayelsa state has six local government councils.
INEC’s Preparedness
In 2019 governorship election, the electoral umpire,the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), deployed 10,063 ad hoc staff for the conduct of the election.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the state in 2019, Pastor Monday Tom at a roundtable on INEC’s preparedness for Bayelsa poll said : “Bayelsa governorship poll is unique because 75 percent of the state is on the water”, adding that youths in the state were also vulnerable to violence due to drug influence.
However, in 2019 at another event in Abuja,INEC Chairman Prof Mahmoud Yakubu raised the alarm on the likelihood of the governorship elections in Bayelsa state being disrupted by political thugs.
Prof. Yakubu said the outcome of the risk assessment conducted by the commission identified some flash-points in Bayelsa state.
Speaking specifically on the election in Bayelsa and Kogi states, Prof. Yakubu said:”There are already warning signals in the two states. Both are politically volatile. Elections have been disrupted by violence in the past. Our risk assessment, which will be shared with the security agencies at this meeting, has identified some flashpoints.
“We are also concerned that thugs have been mobilised from within and outside the states with the aim of either influencing the elections or disrupting the process on behalf of partisan sponsors, he said.”
Security Arrangement During 2019 Gubernatorial Election
Security agencies are expected to build on the successes recorded in the 2019 gubernatorial election and work on the challenges experienced before, during and after the election.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) deployed 102,000 personnel to monitor elections across the country in the 25 February 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections..
Mr. Olusola Odumosu, NSCDC spokesperson in February said Dr. Ahmed Audi, Commandant-General of the NSCDC, disclosed that the personnel are fully prepared to provide general safety for voters.
Dr. Audi said the NSCDC initiated an operational and deployment plan to prevent assault or violence on the electorate during and after the elections.
In 2019, NSCDC said it deployed 60,000 personnel to monitor the governorship election while the Nigeria Police Force deployed 31,041 officers and men to monitor the election.
It’s A Three – horse race
Three governorship candidates are far ahead of the other candidates in the 11 November,2023 election. They are:
Governor Duoye Diri of the Peoples Democratic party ( PDP)who hails from Kolokuma/Opokuma local government. He describes himself as the “miracle governor” because on 13 February,2020, the Supreme Court annulled the result of the 2019 Bayelsa governorship election.
Aged 63, Governor Diri holds a Bachelors of Arts (Education). He was was sworn in for his first term in office on 14 February 2020.
Former Governor of the state and former Minister of state , Petroleum Recources, Mr. Timipre Marlin Sylvia is the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the election. My Sylvia is not strange to the electorates in the state as he had sought votes from the electorates in almost all the gubernatorial elections held in the state.
He was governor between 27 May 2008 and 27 January 2012. Before then, in 2006 he came second in the primaries of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP). Dr. Goodluck Jonathan won. He (Jonathan) , however, became the running mate to Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua for the presidential primary election which they won. Mr. Sylva won the election in 2007 but his opponent,Mr. Ebitimi Amgbare of Action Congress(AC) challenged him at the Tribunal. Although Mr Sylva’s election was upheld and the tribunal, he lost at the Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Mr. Eradiri , Udengmobofa Udengs, was born on 22 March 1976. He is a member, Nigerian Society of Engineers , (COREN). A graduate from the University of Benin with a degree in Production Engineering and also has a certificate in Dredging Technology from the A&M University Texas USA. He also obtained an Honorary Doctorate (Hons). in Business Management and Corporate Leadership at European – American University in 2017.
He also attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru Jos, Nigeria.
He is certified by the Lagos Business School, Nigeria on Negotiation Skills.He is an Engineer, businessman, human rights activist, Ijaw Leader and politician. Mr. Eradiri is fondly called “Son of the Soil ” by his political friends and admirers.
President Jonathan’s Connection.
The former President and PDP chieftain may press some bottoms to swing the political pendulum in favour of the governor of the state who is asking electorates to give him a second term. President Jonathan was said to have empowered a lot of youths and indeed Bayelsans when he was Commander -in -Chief of the country. As a chieftain of the PDP he is said to be promoting the candidacy of the current governor.
