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By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
As parts of activities towards the 2023 elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has signed peace accord with political parties in Bayelsa State.
Those present at event were chairmen of all the registered political parties, traditional rulers, security agencies, religious leaders, civil societies and Non-governmental organizations.
According to the resident electoral commissioner in Bayelsa State, Dr Emmanuel Alex Hart, it is a deliberate effort to domesticate the peace, through a pact by all participating candidates in the state.
“This action will demonstrate to their followers and supporters that irrespective of differences in their political views and inclinations they are first Bayelsans and elections will come and go, but Bayelsa will remain.
“At the moment we are left with just two (2) out of fourteen (14) activities. They are suspension of campaigns by political parties twenty-four (24) hours to the election and casting of ballot on the Election day. In the course of our preparations and execution of the activities, the commission has constantly engaged stakeholders to keep them abreast of progress made as it works tirelessly to deliver on its mandate as enshrined in the Constitution, strictly guided by the Electoral Act 2022 as well as its guidelines”
Dr Hart noted that the duty of conducting a free, fair, peaceful, transparent and credible elections that is acceptable to all, is a task that INEC, as an election management body cannot be achieve without the cooperation and active participation of all stakeholders. “The activities of political parties from the moment election time table is published gives a clue to how the political space will be before, during and after the elections. If deliberate efforts are not made to check the excesses of some key players in the process the credibility and peace required for the success of the elections may be greatly compromised or outrightly jeopardized,” he said.
He also disclosed that INEC recently “conducted a mock trial of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in 12 polling units in the three (3) senatorial districts and it was successful. We just concluded training of SPOs, POs and APOs. The movement of non-sensitive electoral materials to the various local government areas is ongoing. The total registered voters Primary School II (031) in East.”
Also speaking, the head, Legal, Mrs Ayo Obaseki, said the commission can only deliver effective electoral services where the environment is peaceful and secured, adding that the essence of the agreement (pact) is “to ensure that persons and candidates should be committed to a peaceful, free, fair and credible elections, as stakeholders should advise their constituents to refrain from violence and inciting people to act in a disorderly manner on the day of election.
“This act constitutes an offence and upon conviction attracts a maximum fine of #500,000 or a term of 12 months imprisonment or both. Section 125 of the electoral act 2022. Section 227 of the 1999 construction as amended prohibits the use of thugs to perpetrate violence on election day,” she said.
In his remarks, the commissioner of Police, CP Ben Nebolisa Okolo reiterated the preparedness of the command to provide adequate security and advised all stakeholders to be peaceful to avoid the wrath of the law.
While the chairman of Bayelsa State traditional rulers council, HRM King Bubaraye Dakolo, advised Bayelsans against spilling their blood on altar of politics, but urged them to refrain from anything that will derail the peaceful elections, and that they should abide by rules of the game.
Also speaking, the secretary of IPAC, in Bayelsa State, Simeon Imomotimi, commended the INEC and parties for the peace accord, assuring that the parties should go into the elections without rancour as after the elections they will remain Bayelsans as elections should not be a do or die affairs and considered the signing of peace accord as note only novel, but apt.