An Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official uses the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) .
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Network has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to avoid subjecting Nigerians to another round of heartaches during the Bayelsa Governorship election scheduled for November 11, 2023
The Coordinator of the group, Mr. James Oputin, in a statement, said the discordant tunes coming from INEC on the issue of the electronic transmission of results is generating so much doubts and tension.
Oputin said while the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ofiong Efanga, jolted Bayelsans by saying the electoral body will adopt manual transmission of election results, which the Chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu, has come out to debunk.
Yakubu had said that the results of the November 11 governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states would be transmitted electronically.
Ironically, Oputin said the people are doubtful of INEC’s conflicting declarations from the state and the federal level on the sensitive issue of electronic transmission of results, which is expected to reduce drastically the disturbing incidence of electoral violence in the state.
He noted that Nigerians have not forgotten how the same INEC under Yakubu abruptly opted to transmit the Presidential election result manually after weeks of intense media reassurances to Nigerians that the election would be transmitted electronically.
He urged Yakubu to prepare the minds of the Bayelsa voters and stakeholders on what to expect, as most people seem to have dismissed his statement as yet another ambush on Election Day.
Oputin also called on the Bayelsa REC, Efanga to address the press on the disturbing conflict on the issue of the planned deployment of electronic transmission of results.
He said that it is a difficult task to convince a person who has been a victim of trust-related disappointed to believe someone carrying an albatross of trust.
The PDP youth leader said that what his party and indeed Bayelsans expect from INEC is an impartial conduct of the forthcoming election. He stressed that the overwhelming popularity of the Governor Douye Diri, who has executed projects his opponents domain once considered impossible is what the party needs to retain the Creek Haven, Yenagoa, Government House.
Oputin said that Bayelsans are pleased with Diri, who has ensured stability in the state apart from projects such as the Nembe-Brass Road, the Central Senatorial Road and continuation of many huge projects he inherited from his predecessor, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson.
“The PDP Youth Network has observed with serious concern the conflicting remarks about the issue of the deployment of electronic transmission of results in the Bayelsa governorship elections scheduled for November 11.
“We call on the Nigeria public to hold INEC accountable to its words. We also challenge Mahmud and his team to ensure that promises made to Nigerians are not seen as attempts to lay ambush on Election Day.”
“As a party, we only need the soaring popularity of Governor Douye Diri, who has performed above expectations to retain political control in the state.”
