Bayelsa Decides 2023: Diri Applauds INEC On Improvements, Calls Free, Fair Election

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has praised the electoral process in the state governorship election, saying it is an improvement on the previous polls conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

He applauded the efficiency of the BVAS and INEC personnel in the accreditation and voting exercise.

Diri, however, expressed concern that PDP supporters and voters in Nembe-Bassambiri, Nembe LGA, were allegedly being excluded and stopped from going into the community, adding that they had petitioned INEC on the situation.

The governor, in an interview with reporters shortly after casting his vote at his Kalamaowei Ward 6, polling unit 4, said, “I think this is an improvement on all the other elections that I have participated in.

“It’s very seamless, very fast and if it continues like this then I want to believe INEC is improving on not only their facilities, training of the personnel that are handling the process.”

He said he and his team were monitoring the balloting process across the state, adding that he was satisfied with the conduct of the voting process in his ward.

Diri further said, “For concerns, we have concerns about Nembe-Bassambiri where our party members, most of whom were excluded, our agents have been stopped from going into Nembe. And so that’s a very serious concern.

“Our party has written an official letter to the national chairman of INEC, and INEC has to take drastic actions to ensure that our people are allowed to go in there to vote. In any case, what we call for is a free, fair process where the BVAS should be used just as I have done here today.

“So let the accreditation be by the BVAS in Nembe-Bassambiri. Special attention has to be taken on Nembe-Bassambiri because everything points to the fact that in Nembe-Bassambiri, PDP members are chased out of their community.”