Engr Udengs Eradiri, the Labour Party’s candidate for the governorship election in Bayelsa State on November 11, has stated that the party will not accept any Bimodal Voters Accreditation Machine System (BVAS) without codes.
He claimed that some politicians are already plotting to use the machine to their advantage.
On Thursday, he told journalists at his campaign office in Yenagoa that he is coming as a third force to address the state’s bad leadership.
He also promised to prioritise education, health, agriculture, and infrastructure, all of which have been neglected by the current administration.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore its reputation by holding free and fair elections in Bayelsa.
He said:
They are boasting that they are going to buy the whole INEC, can you imagine the level INEC has been reduced to and people are boosting to buy INEC? That is how shameful our electoral institution has become, and as Labour Party, and participant in this election, we are using this opportunity to send message to INEC that they are already planning to buy them, you are now so cheap that you are now on the alter of buying and selling for an election that should be about the will of the people, that should be about the issue that affect the well-being of the people, they have turned it to buying and selling.
They have already gathering money to give to security and INEC, that is the level our electoral process has gone to, I will not reduce myself to that level, even if I have all the money in the world, I will not reduce myself to buying and selling the process that will make you have no connection with the people.
I have been moving around talking to the people because I want to have that social connection, that is the only way you will not forget the people when you get to the office, but when you buy, even the forces of nature will not be by your side.
We are coming as the peoples’ force, and the peoples’ force have proven that the people will always have their way, we will go to people and tell them what they want to hear and because of where we are coming from, people will be able to assess us and say yes, and we will win this election, all those things, we are waiting for them.
So, anybody that wants to do anything funny during Bayelsa election, the whole world will see him, and we will make such people are enemy of state, everybody will know that you are the problem of the country, I’m sure non of them will be identify with such, the earlier we all go to the people who are the structure, the better.
Bayelsa State as we speak is going through a lot, and all of our problem is shouldered on leadership, we don’t have competent leadership in Bayelsa State, compare Bayelsa to other states in the country, you will discover that we are backward in all indices, and yet we supposed to be the richest state, we have received trillion of naira over the years.
Our educational institutions are in sorry state, we have no teachers in our schools, those who are even teaching, well is next to none, economy of the state is nothing, there is no infrastructures, as I speak, businesses are closing down in Bayelsa.
We will look at healthcare, our health institution is in the mess, look at the sanitation and water situation in the state, no proper drainages, the sewage system is something else, Bayelsa deserved proper livable environment, we will addressed it and make public schools good enough for all Bayelsans, he said.