Members of the Labour Party (LP) in Bayelsa State under the auspices of Concerned Labour Party Critical Stakeholders, on Thursday in Yenagoa, protested the alleged refusal of the state government to conduct local government election in the state.

The tenure of elected local government council chairmen in the state ended on August 14, 2022, and the councils are currently administered by heads of personnel management.

The angry placard-carrying LP protesters, led by Christopher Timi-Ogosi, complained that the people at the grassroots were being denied development as a result of the delay by the government to conduct council polls.

He accused Governor Douye Diri of interfering with the operations of local government councils, stressing that it had become imperative to review the country’s constitution to guarantee democratic autonomy for councils.

He lamented that “democracy has not been sustained in local government councils in the state due to certain factors like the unnecessary delay in the conduct of the election as witnessed under the Prosperity Administration of Governor Douye Diri in Bayelsa State.”

Timi-Ogosi, who is the LP candidate for Sagbama Local Government Area, said: “I, therefore, call on Governor Douye Diri and the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission, BYSIEC, to put the necessary machinery in place and conduct local government election so that the people at the grassroots can feel the impact of government and also enjoy its dividends.

“We all know that the non-conduct of the election means shortchanging the local government areas and depriving the areas of better development, government should be an enabler of growth and development, not an impediment.

“The delay by BYSIEC to conduct the election is at variance with Section 26 (a) of the Electoral Act and it is illegal for non-elected persons to occupy council positions, administer and appropriate local government funds, as this hampers grassroots development.

“Observations have been made, questions have been raised and still no answers have been given as to why the election has not been conducted without any genuine reason.”

Also speaking, the secretary of LP in the Sagbama LGA, Stephen Morris, said the rural dwellers were not happy that the state government had not conducted local government polls, adding that the development of the state could not be complete without giving attention to the rural areas.

“We are appealing to the Bayelsa State government to conduct a local government election. Bayelsa State is for all. He alone cannot develop Bayelsa State, and for the state to develop, it must rely on the grassroots.

“And if there is no leadership at the grassroots there shall be no development and government,” he said. (Daily Independent)

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