Group Faults Bayelsa REC’s Plan To Shun Electronic Transmission Guber Election Results

YENAGOA – A body under the auspices of the Good Governance Advocacy Group (GGAG) has expressed con­cern over remarks credited to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in charge of Bayelsa State, Mr. Obo Effanga, that the results of the November 11 governorship election in the state would be col­lated manually.

Effanga was reported to have stated that the Independent Na­tional Electoral Commission plans to transmit the results of the governorship polls manually, during a meeting with religious leaders and faith-based organisa­tions in Yenagoa on Wednesday.

“But just to clear all doubts, the election is going to be won and lost at the polling units,” he said.

The GGAG, while reacting to the REC’s comment in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Godwin Ebiware, on Friday, said it was surprising that Effanga did not give reasons why the commission would collate the results manually.

Ebiware said, “The Federal Government spent billions of naira to secure Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) but out of a hidden agenda by the political parties in Bayelsa in connivance with the Indepen­dent National Electoral Commis­sion, have decided to abandon the electronic transmission of the November 11 election results in real-time.

“It will be recalled that the op­position parties at the federal level are still in court over the inability of the INEC to transmit the results of the February 23 presidential election results in real time.”

The group also called on the Bayelsa State Police Command to exercise neutrality ahead of the forthcoming governorship polls in the state.

The GGAG described as dis­turbing the “partisan statement” credited to the Commissioner of Police that the safety of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters could not be guar­anteed if they visited Nembe-Bas­sambiri to campaign.

It was gathered that the state campaign council of the PDP had cancelled its planned visit to the community on Thursday fol­lowing the position of the police commissioner.

Ebiware said, “Only some weeks ago, the self-same Commis­sioner of Police said that peace has returned to Nembe-Bassam­biri after the ugly disturbances that led to the deaths of some individuals.

“Is the Commissioner of Police saying that the opposition parties are free to go campaign in other lo­cal government areas? Will there be an election in Nembe-Bassam­biri if the PDP is not free to go there and campaign?”