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Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has accused security forces of aiding electoral violence with the intent to subvert the will of the people.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the governor’s allegations while hosting the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and Head of the EU Delegation to ECOWAS, Ketil Karlson and the Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, Joanna Tarnawska, at the Government House, Yenagoa.
The Governor recalled that a Government House Photographer, Reginald Dei, and a Peoples Democratic Party Leader, Seidougha Taribi, and others were killed during the last Presidential election in the state.
Dickson said that election should not be seen as a war situation which must evoke fear and terror in the electorate.
He stressed that the conduct of every election should be seen as an opportunity to deepen the democratic process through the conduct of free fair, and credible election devoid of violence and deaths.
He also condemned the situation where over 2000 persons were chased out of Bassambiri community in Nembe Local Government area by armed militias during the last election.
He lamented that the Bayelsa citizens who were chased out of the community because of their political affiliation were living as internally displaced persons and had not returned to their community.
He said: “In the last presidential election, we lost a number of people including my own photographer, a journalist who was shot and killed by military men who had no role at all; no business and no reason for carrying out that gruesome murder,
“Election should not be a situation where the whole state will be afraid what security forfes may do or may not do. This is not the climate that can engender peaceful elections.
“We are managing a situation whereby on election day, people come with armed militia, sometimes aided by Federal security operatives, where people’s homes are attacked and ransacked. People are made to flee to enable others have access to election materials and then they fill results and announce at will.” he said.
While commending the European Union for its developmental efforts in the state and its concern for peaceful poll, the governor expressed commitment to ensuring a free, fair and credible governorship election in the state.
In his remarks, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen said that the EU was committed to the encouragement of the conduct of free, fair and credible elections as part of the effort to aid the deepening of the democratic culture in the country.
According to Ambassador Karlsen, the forthcoming governorship poll in Bayelsa and Kogi states would be a litmus test in strengthening democracy in Nigeria.
The EU Ambassador to Nigeria who said they were in the state to interface with the governorship candidates of the various political parties, stressed the need for neutrality on the part of INEC, security forces and other stakeholders in the election.
He cautioned against vote buying and the use youths as political thugs to cause violence.
Also speaking, the Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, Joanna Tarnawska, said Poland as a member state of the European Union supports democratic government as well as the inclusion of youths and women in the electoral process.
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