Sen Barigha Amange, former Senator from Bayelsa East Senatorial District has said that only free, fair and transparent election would ensure the emergence of a people’s governor across states of the federation in the 2019 general elections.
Amange made the ascertain during his keynote address at the 5th annual lecture organised by the Federated Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Bayelsa council on Thursday in Yenagoa.
He said the theme of the annual lecture, “The Quest for People’s Governor: A case for Bayelsa State,” was appropriate as the general elections are drawing close.
The Former Senator said that achieving the people’s governor in the forthcoming could bring the much-desired development from the grassroots.
Amange explained that the people’s governor was the person elected by the people to perform the executive functions on the peoples’ behalf.
“The people, therefore, must be involved in the selection and election processes. This involvement of the people must start from the party primaries to the general elections.
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“So, for us to have a people’s governor, the processes for the primary and general elections must be free, fair, credible and transparent. It must not be a governor that emerges through imposition or vote-buying,” he said.
The Chairman of the occasion, Mr Charles Ambaiowie, outlined on that the quest for a people’s governor that a critical check should be taken on people’s character, capacity, competence, courage and conscience.
Ambaiowie urged for rigorous enlightenment of people from the grassroots in order to cast their vote to the rightful candidate of their choice.
Mr Braeyi Ekiye, Guest Lecturer, said for a people’s governor to emerge, they must be proper political educations for the electorate.
“The people’s governor can be elected through the efficient use of PVC and not selling of vote. The people’s governor must be able to focus on people’s oriented projects and economic development,” he stated.
In his remark, Mr Osaro Okhomina said the programme was aimed at imparting knowledge on people in the search for the people’s governor in the state even as we prepare for the 2019 general elections.
Okhomina thanked the guest Lecturer and other participants and expressed hope that the lecture would go along in promoting good governance for the people.
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