Austin Pade, Yenagoa
Blame game is currently going on in Bayelsa State over the violence that broke out during the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state. The state governor, Seriake Dickson, identified the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, as the remote hands that orchestrated all the mayhem recorded in different parts of the state.
Bayelsa recorded violence, occasioned by heavy shooting and ballot snatching in some local government councils during the election. The violence led to the death of one person
The Nigerian Xpress gathered that there were cases of ballot snatching and buying of votes in Nembe, Ogbolomabiri and Bassambiri.
The situation was not different in parts of Sagbama, particularly in Adagbabiri community.
Dickson, in a media briefing in Government House, Yenagoa, condemned the display of brigandage, violence and mayhem in Southern Ijaw, Brass and Ekeremor local government councils, as well as in some communities and different polling units in the state.
He noted that for the umpteenth time, he has raised the alarm that a former governor of the state and a top official of the government were hatching plans to deploy violence to scare voters and snatch ballot boxes, under the supervision of the military, which he alleged, they did on Saturday.
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According to him, though, Government House photographer, Reginald Dei escaped death by the whiskers and is in a critical condition in an undisclosed hospital, the Ward Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Seidougha Tariebi, did not make it. They were allegedly shot by the military.
He alleged that the military turned its attention elsewhere, while politicians unleashed mayhem and snuffed life out of fellow humans, in attempt to forcefully gain political power.
Dickson noted that riot policemen that escorted a top brass of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Nelson Brambaifa, to cast his votes, locked down Agbere. In the process, he said, APC thugs in Nembe-Bassambiri snatched ballot boxes.
“It is sad that almost all APC stalwarts were given armed security escort during the presidential polls in the state, which ought not to be. It is sad and a disservice to democratic tenets,” he said.
Dickson pointed out that the APC foot soldiers that have become terror in their councils, by promoting violence, killings and maiming are well known to the security agencies.
The governor explained that the essence of the military’s presence during the election was to protect lives and properties. “But, a situation where the security agencies abdicated their constitutional responsibility and shut their eyes to violence, mayhem and killings is sad and portend a grave danger to our democracy,” he said.
Dickson called for the arrest of a member of the state House of Assembly for his infamous role in the violence that erupted in the local government during the poll.
He averred that a commission of enquiry would be set up to unravel the culprits, not minding how highly placed they are in the society, adding that none shall escape justice, as they will all be prosecuted in accordance with the laws of the land.
The military, however, in their response absolved themselves of any blame over the gun battle that killed Tariebi and placed Reginald Dei in a critical condition, stressing that their operatives did not cover the area.
Spokesman of the 16 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Major Jonah Danjuma, pointed that the incident happened at Oweikorogha community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area but noted that their men had no assignment in the area.
APC, in its own response to the mayhem, accused Dickson of raising false alarm about the violence, as he did in 2015.
The party’s spokesman, Dofie Boukoribo, said Dickson’s goal in shouting “violence” was to mask his own terror and lawlessness towards the polls.
He pointed out that Dickson followed this up with wild and unsubstantiated allegations against the Nigerian Army, the APC and its leadership, and specifically excoriated former Bayelsa State governor and APC leader, Chief Timipre Sylva.
“In Dickson’s court, Sylva and APC stalwarts are guilty of hijacking of electoral materials, killings – and even terrorism. Expectedly, the media has been awash with reports of ‘violence’ by APC in parts of the state, particularly Twon-Brass and Bassambiri-Nembe.
“We reiterate that the APC in Bayelsa State and its leadership had nothing whatsoever to do with violence during last Saturday’s elections. Governor Dickson and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, should be held responsible,” he said.
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Boukoribo, quoting an eyewitness added that a caretaker chairman of local council stormed INEC Collation Centre with a busload of thugs, rent the air with war chants in company with a PDP candidate for House of Representatives.
“They went into the collation room with the intent to stop the collation and announcement of results,’ he said, adding: “Twon-Brass is the senatorial headquarters for Bayelsa East Senatorial District, and all election results from the area should be collated and announced in Twon-Brass and not Yenagoa,” where he said PDP in connivance with the Nigerian Police, attempted to cart away election results to.
“Voters suspected a foul play, insisted the results be collated and announced. Deputy Commissioner of Police stood his grounds and ordered INEC officials with elections results into a waiting military gunboat.
“Attempt by voters to stop them from moving the elections results proved abortive, as the gunboat the Deputy Commissioner of Police ordered the INEC staff with elections results into, sailed away from the jetty.
“Voters accosted the Deputy Commissioner of Police and demanded he calls his men and orders them to return the election results to where it rightfully should be collated, counted, and announced, and expressed fear that there’s a plan to tamper with results.
“Deputy Commissioner of Police wasn’t abducted, as widely speculated. Voters acted in defence of their votes by insisting he orders his men, accompanying the elections results to Yenagoa to return them to Brass Local Government Secretariat where the results are constitutionally supposed to be collated and announced.
“Deputy Commissioner of Police ordered materials back to Brass. The materials were taken to INEC office for collation.
“Clearly, DCP Okunlola was performing extra-police duties and issuing illegal orders when voters acting in defence of their votes resisted him. Even the Nigeria Police have admitted that he was not kidnapped. Indeed, it is impossible for unarmed men to abduct a senior police officer in the presence of armed mobile policemen and regular policemen.
“In Bassambiri-Nembe, the PDP wanted to use their usual commando-style of politics to compromise the elections but they failed lamentably.
“Voting took place in all the seven wards. Results were collated, and the APC did very well there. No political party or politician will seek to perpetrate violence in its stronghold or area where it is winning,” he said.
Also, Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri pointed that the governor was always making unfounded statements and unsubstantiated lies against APC and it leaders in the state.
According to him, it is unbecoming for a governor to forget the integrity of the office he holds and stoop low to fabricate false stories against APC and its leaders in the state.
