Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has described the local government council election in the state as peaceful, free, fair and credible.
Dickson stated this while speaking in an interview with newsmen shortly after casting his vote at Oruere-wari polling unit 05, ward 2 in Toru Orua, Sagbama local government area of the state.
A press release by his Special Adviser on Media Relations, Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the governor as saying that, contrary to concerns raised about the council election in the state, preliminary security reports across the entire state indicated that the exercise was peaceful and hitch-free.
While expressing satisfaction over the large turnout of voters, Dickson urged all eligible voters to conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner in electing candidates and parties of their choice. The Governor who noted that though the main opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress boycotted the election he said that over 30 political parties contested the exercise and expressed optimism that the election would end peacefully.
His words: “Preliminary report from the security commanders across the state has given me the overview which does not indicate any major concern.
“Our hope and expectation are that this exercise will end peacefully just as it has started on a peaceful and orderly note.
“The major opposition party in the state on their own decided to boycott the election but there are still over 30 political parties that presented candidates for the election and so it will be a contested election.