Jesse Ese, Yenagoa
As the crisis within the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) blossoms, some delegates from other zones in the country have called on the Bayelsa State Government and other relevant bodies to declare the recent election in which Engr. Eradiri Udengs emerged winner an exercise in futility.
This was followed by a mass protest by the delegates from the Samson Siasia Sports Complex to the NUJ Press Centre immediately the eleco declared Udengs as the President of the IYC.
One of the delegates who spoke to our correspondent in Yenagoa, Comrade Badagry Lucky, stated that they were thinking that the outcome of the new eleco set in place to conduct the election will be welcoming but the reverse was the case.
Comrade Badagry stressed that the eleco connived with the Bayelsa State Government to rig the election in favour of Udengs who was selected as their candidate in Government House in Yenagoa.
He added that the IYC delegates from other zones who came for the election were denied access to the hall where election was held as security operatives from different agencies blocked the entrance to the stadium.
He added that they have taken a resolution to block the East-West Road and other major roads in Bayelsa State to cause problems to the government till the issue on ground is settled.
Also, the immediate past Secretary General of the IYC, and Deputy Presidential aspirant from Western Zone in Delta State, Comrade Razak Amatoru, said that the irregularity started at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa where delegates that were sent from different zones were shortlisted.
He revealed that Bayelsa Government mobilized some delegates to vote for them with the sum of N50, 000 each; but cancelled the first election that was held when they noticed that the delegates did not vote in line with the agreement; with a date to be announced later but took them unaware when they woke up to see text messages that they should go to the stadium for the election the next morning.
He added that when they got there, they security operatives refused them entrance into the hall. “We had about 100 delegates but some did not participate. The irregularity was much that some of the ballot papers that were counted had 104, 103 and 101 votes instead of 99.”
He also said that government went to some schools to pick students to participate in the election. He added that as a result of the fraudulent activities embarked upon by the government, they have also been declared by the Ijaw Youths as leaders in their respective zones.
“We have not seen this in Ijaw nation before. It is very wrong for a civilian governor to embark on such kind of project. It is a pity that the Commissioner of Ijaw Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolo, happens to be the first president of the IYC. They are supposed to show good examples but they fail to do that. This is the height of democracy abuse in Nigeria.”
