Guber poll: Bayelsa govt urges politicians to stop heating up polity

The Commissioner For Information, Orientation and Strategy in Bayelsa, Chief Ayibaina Duba, has called on political gladiators to cease beating the drum of war in the state, stating that this scares voters from exercising their franchise.

Duba spoke against the backdrop of the low turnout of voters in Saturday’s governorship election in Bayelsa.

Quoting from INEC data, NAN reports that of the 218,394 registered voters in Yenagoa Local Government Area (LGA), only 54,380 voters turned up for the exercise.

Duba, who spoke on Sunday at his country home in Nedugo community in Yenagoa LGA, suspects that beating the drum of war by political actors may have struck fear into the electorate, and they stayed away from voting, especially the non-indigenes in the area.

But he described the accreditation and voting process as hitch-free, stating that there was no delay at all in unit 12, ward 7, where he voted.

“I call on political actors not to beat the drums of war preparatory to elections. Let us be civil in what we say, be careful with our utterances so that people will not be afraid,” Duba said.