The Labour Party has committed to hold a nonviolent demonstration in response to Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri’s reported flat-out refusal to hold local government elections.
Lamidi Apapa, the party’s factional national chairman, said this in a statement delivered in Abuja.
Apapa requested the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission (BYSIEC) to take the appropriate action.
“The party would turn to civil measures in an effort to pressure the governor to take the necessary action if BYSIEC fails to issue a notice to begin the process of local government elections before month’s end.
He declared that the civil action would be “peaceful but resolute, in our pursuit of electoral justice and democratic representation for the people of Bayelsa State.”
Since local government units were established to support the establishment, upkeep, and maintenance of democracy and democratic political culture, Apapa claimed the governor would not dispute the significance and value of the grassroots to the development of a state.
Therefore, he claimed, LGAs needed to be given authority in order to operate efficiently, to stabilize, and to enhance the political system.
The importance of local government in providing democratic representation for the populace at the local level, he continued, could not be overstated.
“The people of Bayelsa State, in particular those at the grassroots, want elected politicians who can successfully speak for their needs and drive development projects.
“We are worried that money earmarked for local governments in Bayelsa State are being withheld by the state government rather than being distributed to democratically elected local government officials.
According to him, the development “contradicts the governor’s claims of pursuing a prosperous administration and shows a deliberate neglect of the local area.”
According to Apapa, the Labour Party strenuously opposed using civil personnel to manage local government operations, calling it a strange and antiquated method.
In contrast to his earlier assertions that the governor prioritized the development of the people over political maneuvers, he claimed that the governor’s political agenda may be the reason for the delay in holding the local council election.
He claimed that the current litigation in Sagbama High Court, Yenagoa, intended to compel the governor to hold elections had attracted the party’s attention due to its delayed development.
Apapa also voiced worries over suspected future court interference.
He consequently pleaded with the governor to uphold the judiciary’s independence, which was important to his election to office.
