Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, at the weekend, applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the measures taken so far to sanitise the conduct of elections in the country.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo gave the commendation while speaking with newsmen shortly after casting his vote at about 8:50am in the Ubrogbo polling Unit Six of Sagbama Ward 4 in his hometown, Ofoni.
He noted that INEC’s innovativeness in terms of easing the voting process and management of the result sheets would not only promote transparency but also restore the people’s confidence in the electoral body.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who described the voting process in his community as smooth and peaceful, maintained that INEC’s achievements in Edo and Ondo States as well as the success of Saturday’s by-elections across the country would improve its current rating.
He, however, condemned the skirmishes that took place in some parts of Sagbama Local Government Area, particularly in Agbere and Agoro communities where electoral materials were allegedly burnt.
The deputy governor who accused the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) of masterminding the unfortunate incident, called on the Bayelsa political class to play politics with decency and integrity.
According to him, “the APC knows full well that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will win the two senatorial by-elections in Bayelsa fair and square, that is why they are resorting to violence and other undemocratic measures to mar the process.”
“As usual, I want to thank INEC for the process, which as you can see is going on smoothly and peacefully in Ofoni here. Let me thank them especially for the innovativeness INEC has brought to bear on the process in terms of its result sheets”, he said.
“It is a major step to prevent people from hijacking genuine results or bringing in fake results. We are sure that with what INEC has done in Edo and Ondo States, we and every right- thinking Nigerian will appreciate, if they also get today’s bye-elections right.But let me use this opportunity to condemn the level of skirmishes in some parts of Sagbama Local Government Area, which we believe were orchestrated by the opposition APC because they don’t even have a candidate”, he noted.
“The report I have is that the materials for Ward One in Agbere and Ward Eleven in Agoro were burnt down. That is not democracy. Politicians should do away with such negative electoral practices”, the deputy governor added.
He called on the security agencies to rise up to the occasion so that the electorate out there can exercise their franchise so that we don’t have any unnecessary run-off because that is what some people are planning.
“But I’m very sure that we are going to win convincingly because Bayelsa West is PDP. Bayelsans should remain calm because what the APC is doing is like a man who does not have anything in a boat trying to cause a wave to capsise it”, he reiterated.
In an interview, the INEC’s Presiding Officer, Miss Adebayo Ifeoluwa and domestic observer under the auspices of Mission for Education, Social and Health, Archbishop Alex Eseimokumoh, also attested to the peacefulness of the election in Ofoni community.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa