Crisis looms in community over youth leadership election

There is tension in Azikoro, a fast-growing metropolitan community in Yenagoa Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa State, as two warring factions are said to be spoiling for confrontation over who becomes the next youth president in the area.

Already, the disagreement has pitched the state government through the Commissioner for Sports and Youths Development, Daniel Igali, and the traditional leadership of the community, led by its paramount ruler, HRH Ike Napoleon, against each other.

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According to the youths, on October 24, 2020, the paramount ruler and other members of his cabinet in a letter written to the governor of the state, stated that election was held and declared same day, where one Success Douglas won.

Reacting, the paramount ruler said the former President, Gentle Levi, had ended his tenure, and “based on his nefarious activities” the community decided not to re-elect him for a second term.

On his part, Igali said the traditional ruler and his cabinet are trying to play smart in the whole incident and that he only intervened when the matter went out of hand.