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By Amos Okioma, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission (BYSIEC) on Thursday applauded the ruling of a Bayelsa State High Court ordering the conduct of local government elections in the state.
BYSIEC said that the judgment has vindicated the commission’s resolve to conduct local government elections in the eight local government areas of the state on August 10.
Reacting to the court ruling, BYSIEC’s commissioner, Legal Services, Barr. Marshal Abraham said that the decision of the court was a welcome development.
Abraham noted that the court’s decision has conferred legal competence on the commission to carry on with processes of the council elections slated for August 10, emphasizing that the date remains sacrosanct.
Abraham equally explained that an order granted some persons by an Abuja High Court on conduct of the elections on June 23 had since lapsed
He said that with the substantive judgement delivered in Yenagoa on Wednesday; there is no legal constraint in conducting the local government elections in Bayelsa State on August 10.
A High Court sitting in Yenagoa, presided over by Justice Doris Adokeme, on Wednesday ruled for out of court settlement by parties in a suit instituted against the governor of Bayelsa State, BYSIEC, the state government and the state attorney general by Accord Party and nine others.
The petitioners, including Mr. Victor Fisi, state chairman of Accord Party, among other things, prayed the court to declare that the failure and refusal to conduct local government council elections is unlawful.
They also averred that appointment of local government caretaker committees is illegal, null and void.
They asked the court for an order setting aside the appointments of local government caretaker committees, and an injunction restraining the defendants from withdrawing, using, spending or allocating funds of the local government councils.
The parties in the case mutually agreed to ask the court to grant “an order directing the defendants to immediately conduct the said local government council elections in Bayelsa State having earlier agreed to conduct it.
