Bayelsa LG Council Polls Hold, Saturday

The Chairman of the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission, Mr Akpoabide Yingomene, said the commission had finalised plans for the state’s council polls on April 3.

Yingomene, who spoke newsmen in Yenagoa on Friday, said the commission had been meeting with security agencies to ensure a hitch-free election.

According to him, a total of 38 political parties will participate in the election. He said arrangements for the training of all ad hoc staff had begun, adding that voters’ register had been displayed by the commission across the state for correction of inappropriate entries.

The SIEC chairman advised all stakeholders, particularly the political parties, to enlighten prospective voters on the need to exercise their franchise as well as avoid violence. The state electoral chairman emphasised that the commission was not involved in the internal selection processes of the political parties.

In a related development, the Commissioner in charge of Information at the commission, Mr Tom Egba, has advised voters against electoral violence before, during and after the election.

Egba said that the commission had embarked on an aggressive publicity to create awareness on the election.

He explained that the training of the ad hoc staff for the election would begin on Monday.

Egba requested all those who applied as ad hoc staff to visit the commission’s offices at the various local government headquarters for the necessary selection process.