Tension is building in the Ijaw nation ahead of the March 7 election of new officers to pilot the affairs of the socio-cultural organization of the Izon people, the Ijaw National Congress (INC).
There are fears that the election might be compromised and manipulated in favour of some aspirants as one person was alleged to have selected up to 100 delegates that will take part in the election.
Some concerned stakeholders voiced their apprehension at the Ijaw House, Yenagoa, recently in an interactive session preparatory to the election
Even as the outgoing INC leadership had revealed that the election will be conducted electronically, some persons are insinuating that the election may be manipulated through selection of delegates.
Investigation revealed that the election will have about 600 delegates , but already 100 each from the three different zones had been selected.
Six aspirants are billed to lock horns in the all important election for the position of president namely, Prof. Erepamo Osaisai, Rear Admiral Geoffrey Yanga (rtd), Comrade Nengi James, Ebi Wodu, Kaiser Ogoriba and Macdonald Igbadiwei.
Former Commissioner of Ijaw Affairs in Bayelsa State, Felix Tuodolo, who is gunning for the position of the vice president had raised concerns on why the consultant that will handle the electronic voting process should be exposed for all to see.
Also at the interactive session, Charles Ambaowei, the former acting President of the Ijaw Youths Councill (IYC), had asked why the outgoing president should be the one presiding over the interactive session meant for the delegates and the candidates instead of the electoral committee.
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Ambaowei had contended that the electoral committee should have handled everything.
He further questioned the justification for the electronic voting to be adopted during the election.
“Also, we are talking of delegates voting. You must also factor it in that not every delegate in Ijaw Nation may have the opportunity to vote because some people could be illiterates. They may not be conversant with electronics. How are they going to be accommodated?
“You, president, you shared the delegate slots in your Western Zone and the clans went to their cocoons and generated the number that was apportioned to them and submitted to the zonal and that has now happened in the Eastern and Central Zones. The electoral committee should address these issues.
“Tell us how you procured the consultant. Is it the electoral committee or an individual that hired him? The non -disclosure gives room for certain fears.,” Ambaowei complained.
Veteran journalist, Ibiba DonPedro , lending her voice to the controversy trailing the election, urged that somebody with integrity should be allowed to take the driving seat in the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality.
”Everyone in the race is an Ijaw man. Yet, even as a visible, well known journalist and media person, I’m taking a stand for Ijaw’s good.
“At least, three of the contenders are people I have known since 1996, in the trenches of Ijaw activism,” she said.
