..says they collude with APC, INEC to rig in the rescheduled election
Bayelsa state governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, has called for the immediate withdrawal
of soldiers deployed to monitor the ongoing governorship election.
He specifically accused them of colluding with the All Progressives
Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC)
to rig election in seven wards in Southern Ijaw LGA.
Making the allegation during a live radio interview on Monday in Yenagoa,
the governor said despite of the calls by the stakeholders for
postponement of the election as a result of the security challenges, which
led to the death of no fewer than five persons, INEC went ahead without
addressing the issue.
According to the governor, electoral materials meant for the election were
distributed late in the night and subsequently hijacked by suspected APC
thugs aided by military personnel.
He disclosed that some INEC adhoc staff and corps members are still being
held hostage for failure to accede to the request of some APC chieftains
in the affected wards.
Apart from intimidating and harassing eligible voters, members of the
leading opposition party hide under the cover of darkness to perpetrate
electoral fraud, which includes thumb printing of election materials and
filling of the election result sheets.
Expressing concern over what he described as undemocratic act and a
flagrant violation of the fundamental human rights of law abiding people
of the state by the INEC officials and security operatives, Governor
Dickson called for timely intervention of the international community to
prevail on the Buhari led Federal government to ensure fairness.
According to him, “what the Nigerian government is doing is a coup against
democracy and subversion of my authority as governor and even of the peace
and security of this state.
“If you asked, who is creating this mess, it is the APC led Federal
government deploying for the first time the military personnel to
humiliate and attack people and forcing them to vote midnight. It has
never happened anywhere in this Country.
“They reason for this avoidable mess in Southern Ijaw is because by the
calculation of the APC led government with tacit support of the military
to forcefully hijack some election materials on that Sunday so that they
can aid APC to write results without voting” he submitted.
Speaking in the same vein, the Acting National chairman of PDP, Prince
Uche Secondus said the development is unacceptable, as it negates all
known democratic norms, assuring the governor of the party’s support in
fighting against political criminality and injustice.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately call to order the
Minister of Defence, Gen. Mohammed Dan Ali (rtd), the Chief of Army Staff,
General Tukur Buratai, the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase and
the top brass of other security agencies.
His words, “we stand shoulder to shoulder with our governor and the good
people of Bayelsa State. So far, so good, what we have heard from Southern
Ijaw is shameful and this anti democratic measure being taking by the
Federal government, asking the soldiers to conduct election is absolutely
unacceptable.
“Elections have been conducted in all the other parts of the Country. I
have not seen this type of invasion by the military.Our advice to Buhari
and the Country is that the country is gradually sliding into a collapse
democratically. He should tell the Minister of Defecnce and Chief of Army
Staff that what they are doing in Bayelsa State is wrong and should be
condemned.”