By Ugo Aloigo
A governorship aspirant who is a legal practitioner and human rights activist, Barr Timipa Jenkins Okponipere, in the forthcoming Bayelsa governorship election has applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for pushing the election by 2 weeks for Bayelsa and Kogi States from November 2 to November 16.
In the letter addressed to INEC on behalf of all the aspirants in Bayelsa State, which was made available to the media on Wednesday Okponipere, said: “It is my singular honour and privilege to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the Commission’s acceptance to shift the Kogi and Bayelsa Governorship elections from November 2, 2019 to November 16, 2019 following appeals from the government and people of Bayelsa State.
With this gesture, he said, INEC has therefore sufficiently demonstrated to stakeholders of the commission’s preparedness to conduct the forthcoming Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections in an atmosphere of transparency, fairness and credibility.
According to him, It is also to be noted that, the Bayelsa State Government had earlier issued a Statement applauding INEC, for the kind gesture, he added.
The aspirant said: “This is typical of the Ijaw ethnic nationality: We are humble, hospitable, God fearing and grateful people under the leadership of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson.
Accordingly, on behalf of all governorship aspirants (across the respective political parties) in the forthcoming Bayelsa Governorship election, I write to commend INEC for the kind gesture of responsiveness to the yearnings of the electorate, he added.
Meanwhile, the aspirant who is member Governing Board Council of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Bauchi State, while recently briefing a cross section of the media on his broad qualifications, said he comes from Bayelsa Central senatorial district which is already primed to produce the next governor.
He said: :Going by the gentleman’s zoning arrangement, the next governorship of the state is scheduled to come from Bayelsa Central and I’m from that area, placing me at more advantageous position because within Bayelsa Central, Southern Ijaw has produced the governor in the person of the late Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha.
“Yenogoa and Polokuma LGAs have not produced a governor. I’m from Yenogoa LGA, and we are yet to produce a governor even from Yenogoa LGA.
“I come from Gbarain clan, a very disadvantage part of that local in Yenogoa LGA. It is the most disadvantaged clan in Bayelsa.” He said.
