Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission, yesterday, released the final timetable for the local government elections in the state for 2015.
Chairman of the commission, Chief Blessing Izagara, unveiled the new timetable during a stakeholders’ forum in Yenagoa.
The timetable contains the schedule of electoral activities for local government elections which span October 2015 through February 2016.
Izagara said the new timetable was the authentic one as the previous one published in some sections of the media did not pass through the necessary approval of the commission.
He said the new timetable had been vetted and approved by the commission.
Izagara also stated that the timetable had taken into consideration the litigations that might occur after the elections as well as the handover date of the current government.
His words: “We called this meeting to carry everybody along on the issue of change in date of elections earlier published. It is important that we take cognisance of election litigations before the handover and that is what we have done.”
Izagara, who promised free, fair and better elections, explained February 10 to April 17, 2016 was sufficient period to conclude election litigations.
He, however, advised all political parties to ensure that their agents were well behaved during the elections.
He added: “While government has promised to provide security and an enabling environment to guarantee credible election, the political parties should prepare their agents well for the elections, because some agents involved in anti-party activities including selling out the party they claim to represent.”
