The process of electing a new governor for the Bayelsa people, South-South, Nigeria, may have been tortuous , but a glimmer of light appears to be rising in the horizon with the rescheduled election in the Southern Ijaw Council on January 9, 2016.

It would be recalled that the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the governorship election held in the state on December 5 and 6, 2015, inconclusive following reported cases of violent clashes between supporters of the incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and a former governor of the state and candidate of the All Progressives Congress Party (APC), Timipre Sylva.

INEC also said the election was marred by late arrival of election materials or their shortage, as well as election malpractices. 

Crucial as the election in the state and that of Kogi State were, coming after the exit of Professor Attahiru Jega, former INEC Chairman, they both had issues leading to rescheduling. But with the Kogi State election out of the way, all attentions are now focused on Bayelsa, a state with a history of volatility.

The spokesperson for INEC, Nick Dazang, who confirmed the new January date in Southern Ijaw local government said the commission was doing everything within its powers to ensure the election holds, including but not limited to putting the general public on notice on the form of the election and expectations from the voters and party supporters.
 
According to him, all political parties with candidates in the election have already been notified.
While this comes as good news, stakeholders in the state still harbour remote fears in the face of optimism following events in the Southern Ijaw, which they described as anarchical.

One of such groups is Lawyers in Defence of Democracy (LDD), which said it monitored the election and followed developments in the state before and after the elections. ‘There was extreme display of desperation on the part of politicians in unimaginable and unthinkable dimensions. This led to the gross manipulation witnessed during the election,’ Ikechukwu Ikeji, the group’s lead advocate said.

Ikeji who backed INEC in the decision to cancel the election, described the conduct of some politicians as regrettable and condemnable. “We believe that INEC took the right decision by cancelling the election. We say that because not only were some people disenfranchised, but also dehumanized by agents of politicians who were apparently desperate. If INEC did not cancel the election, it would have been a gross injustice to people’s right to decide who serves them,” Ikeji said. 

However, the LDD lead advocate also pointed fingers to political leaders in the state, who, according to him, were in collusion with government, including some military top brass and the police.  “This,” he said, “calls for concern and we believe that the electoral body has taken this into its plans so that there would be free, fair and peaceful polls in Southern Ijaw.”

The group stressed that while violence was often part of elections in this part of the world, such should be curtailed especially in a government and leadership that advertises a new political order defined by a “change” mantra. 
Coming as a litmus test for President Muhammadu Buhari’s hallowed and avowed determination to end rigging and electoral violence in the process of electing leaders in the federal, state and local government councils, it is hoped that INEC have learnt some lessons from the just concluded Kogi State election to deploy such knowledge towards making the Bayelsa election a resounding success.

“This, perhaps, underscores the need for INEC to carefully study and treat all the emerging complaints from the inconclusive Southern Ijaw election, as well as other parts of the state with the urgency and seriousness it deserves.

The vexatious issue of electoral malpractice and other issues of ballot box snatching and thump-printing reported by the locals, party agents and external election monitors and observers should be thoroughly addressed before the January date with a view of providing a sufficient number of security men in strategic parts of the Southern Ijaw to forestall any break down of the peace or undue advantage by one political party over another. 

“As common in most elections in the state, votes from the Southern Ijaw, an area whose population far out numbers all local government councils put together always decide the winner. There is, therefore, the need to make adequate plans ahead of the election, especially as voting results from some council areas in the state are already known. As this understanding comes with a huge pressure and expectations, it is hoped that INEC would urgently investigate and prosecute those who played one role or the other leading to the cancellation of elections in Southern Ijaw and bring them to book. It is only in doing this that INEC can acquit itself of the mounting allegations of complicity in elections in the country. 

“It is in this regard that the police in liaison with INEC are advised to begin the education and orientation of the electorate on the challenges and expectations ahead of the election.  Not only the police, community leaders as well as all interest groups, political or non-political, market women and, the young and old, have a role to play towards maintaining the peace in the coming election.

“While the people of Bayelsa State have shown willingness to elect a governor for the state, it is in government, state and federal’s powers to provide a conducive and peace-induced condition for this desire to be actualized. This includes, but not limited to deploying credible personnel from the various security agencies as well as providing electoral materials in good time and to places where voting would be done, and do well, too, by ensuring that no party is given undue advantage over the other. 

More than anything else, INEC must know that its reputation and credibility is on trial therefore, must jealously guard it so that Bayelsans and Nigerians at large would have confidence in its ability to put the masses first and above all other ambitions of politicians or political parties.

“This is just as Bayelsans after traveling the electoral roads and enduring all its twists and turns, must resolve to conduct themselves in a manner that sets the records straight that they are capable of peacefully electing their leaders without spilling blood. It is only in doing this that the bright light, which the rescheduled Southern Ijaw council election in the state represents, can shine for the good of everyone in the state and democracy in Nigeria”, Ikeji appealed.