Indigenes of Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayela State are eagerly awaiting the arrival of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The president is expected to arrive in his home town today ahead of tomorrow’s general elections.
But there were no soldiers or riot policemen on the streets – unlike many others in the other parts of the country which have been swarmed by troops.
Residents are confident that their “brother” and “son” will be victorious at the polls.
Around the town, posters and banners of President Jonathan and his running mate, Vice-President Namadi Sambo, are at various locations.
There were some last-minute street campaigns for the president. Vehicles with speakers mounted on them drove through the Otuoke Road with the announcers urging people to come out en masse and vote.
A few campaign materials in circulation also urged residents to vote Jonathan.
One of them reads: “Game over, let the truth be known. Vote Jonathan/Sambo 2015 and say yes to democracy and no to autocracy. Sustain the Jonathan victory, come out en mass on election day.”
A resident, Rose Ogbeifun, smiled broadly when asked who she would vote for. “Jonathan of course; he’s our brother,” she said.
A technician, who simply gave his name as Jude, said: “I will vote for my brother Jonathan. I have my PVC and I am ready for Saturday.”
Another resident, James Sawyer, said he was confident Jonathan would carry the day.
“Some said he has not performed. But whether he performed or not, I will vote for him. I know everyone in Bayelsa will vote for him. He’s our son and brother,” he said.
With one of its illustrious sons as the nation’s president, Otuoke, home to a Federal university – courtesy of the Jonathan administration – has etched itself on the world map.
The Ijaw, Niger-Delta town, is about 21 kilometres south of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, and 120 kilometres west of the famous seaport of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Governor Seriake Dickson has declared today a work-free day.
A statement by his Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said the holiday was to enable eligible voters travel to their communities in the remote riverine areas and other distant parts for the elections.
The governor said the decision was also to enable voters participate in the accreditation at their registered polling centres, given the peculiar terrain of the state.
He urged the people to turn out en mass, to cast their votes for their preferred candidates.
Dickson explained that the directive affected only all offices in the state, aside from financial institutions.
According to him, the government has constituted a special committee to ensure compliance in both public and private offices. He enjoined employers to show some understanding.
The governor said: “It has become imperative to ensure a maximum voter turnout to re-elect President Goodluck Jonathan.”
He stressed that the task had become a matter of state interest, “as the President is a son of Bayelsa”, and urged Bayelsans to vote massively, as they would have the rare privilege and honour to make history.
To forestall violence on the election day, he directed that no boat or river craft of any description would ply the waterways for two nights, beginning from 7pm today to 8am on Saturday morning and Saturday 7pm to 8am on Sunday.
Only vessels on essential duties and emergency cases would be allowed to ply the waterways during the period.
It was learnt that Bayelsa State was yet to receive all the electoral materials for the polls.
The sensitive materials were said to have arrived in Port-Harcourt on Wednesday night but could not get to Bayelsa because of heavy rainfall.
At the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Yenagoa, people who applied to work for the electoral agency, were scrambling to know whether they had been shortlisted for the jobs.
While the lists of supervisory presiding officers for Ogbia, Yenagoa and Southern Ijaw were pasted, those of other local government areas were being awaited.
Also, lists of presiding officers for the election had not been released.
But the Resident Electoral Commissioner Mr. Baritor Kpagih, said the commission had received all the materials and was prepared to conduct the elections.
