By Our Reporter
Women Arise for Change, an electoral observer group, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) level of preparedness for the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa.
The President of the group, Dr Josephine Okei-Odumakin, said at a news briefing in Yenagoa on Friday that the group was satisfied with the logistics arrangement put in place by INEC for the poll.
Okei-Odumakin further said that the group trained 30 election observers, who were deployed in the state for the exercise.
She said: “Our observers have been trained in best international practices in election observation.
“Feedback from our observer teams reveal that INEC has already moved sensitive materials to the Registration Area Centres.”
Okei-Odumakin also commended the pre-election comportment of security agencies deployed in the state.
She said that neutrality of security agents on election duties was crucial to the success of the process.
“Our appeal is that other stakeholders should support the efforts of INEC and the security agencies to ensure a credible and peaceful election.
“We are also urging political actors in the state to play by the rules, they must shun violence and other electoral vices,” she said.
Okei-Odumakin said that the group’s expectation was that the poll would be credible, adding that “observers must remain neutral”.
She further urged the media to ensure balanced and objective coverage of the process in the interest of the nation’s democracy. (NAN)
