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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Tension is building in Bayelsa State among political parties over reports of a plot to shift the Bayelsa council polls fixed for May 14.
Investigations revealed that the state government is in talks with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party,(PDP) to shift the polls over fears that those elected would not be eligible to be ad-hoc delegates for the primaries of the party and including the presidential primary.
The leadership of the party is believed to be favourably disposed to working with the current elected local government chairmen and the councillors as against new ones that would be elected.
The leadership of other political parties under the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) led by Mr Brisibe Kpodoh is also in the dark about the alleged plan to postpone the poll.
According to him, such an issue of postponement might be a possibility based on the scenario that the councillors and Chairmen might not meet up with the number of months needed to qualify them as delegates of the PDP for the National Convention.
A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Hon. Sunday Frank Oputu, while confirming the development, described the excuse being adduced for the planned postponement as ridiculous.
Oputu explained that the state can no longer allow the appointment of caretaker chairmen into the office while the democratic process mandates the state governor to conduct local government council elections.
‘The excuse being given is ridiculous from what we are hearing, there is a plan to postpone the Local Government poll and the excuse given is ridiculous.
‘We gathered that the outgoing ones may become uncontrollable at the state and National Assembly primaries. If they are changed, they may fight the choice of Governor Diri at the primaries.’
While describing the excuses as ‘lame’, he threatened to head to the court to ensure the right thing is done.
‘We call on him to immediately release the money to the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC) to conduct the scheduled election. We are also against the appointment of a caretaker committee to the councils. We are also ready to approach the court stopping the state House of Assembly from entertaining the screening of caretaker committee.’
