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Bayelsa election: CSOs raise alarm over sudden deployment of soldiers to collation centres

Ayodele Olalere

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, currently in Bayelsa State to monitor the guber election have raised alarm over sudden deployment of men of the Nigerian Army from the 6 Brigade, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to collation centres across Bayelsa.

According to the group, they have been authoritatively informed that the soldiers, some of whom arrived Yenagoa, the state capital on Saturday towards the end of the election, are being positioned to take over the collation centres and headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the state capital.

Speaking in a press statement signed by its Coordinator, Barrister Atari Emmanuel, the group said:

” The world is watching with breathtaking attention the funny game currently being played by the Nigerian Army, in the ongoing governorship election in the state.

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We are worried that despite aiding thugs across the various local governments, particularly in Southern Ijaw, Nembe and Ekeremor local government areas to unleash terror on innocent voters, the Army is going further, by importing strange soldiers from the 6 division to disrupt the process, a move that may set Bayelsa State on unprecedented crisis that may truncate our nascent democracy if not handled carefully.”

“We hereby call on the Federal Government, the media and the international community, who have keenly been monitoring the ongoing election,to immediately halt this satanic move and allow the Nigerian police to complete its role of overseeing the process under a peaceful atmosphere, devoid of the tension being created by these desperate team of the Nigerian army, being led to hijack the election in Bayelsa state, by federal agents, including a serving Minister,” the statement added.

The group further called ” on Bayelsa state electorates to mobilise and ensure the total protection of their votes at the various collation centers by coming out enmasse from this moment, till the official results are announced by INEC.”

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