Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Governor Seriake Dickson on Monday identified the bias and unfair conduct of some federal agencies as fuelling violence during elections in the state.
Dickson made the accusation at a peace accord signing event organised by the National Peace Committee in conjunction with the Niger Delta Dialogue at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall in Yenagoa.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Fidelis Soriwei, noted that the Governor expressed dissatisfaction with the role the Bayelsa Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) played in the last state and National Assembly elections in the state.
The Governor said that the REC lacked the moral credential to talk about peace in the forthcoming election having accepted manipulated results in the last National Assembly.
Dickson said that a public officer entrusted with the responsibility of conducting such a critical election should have the required integrity to conduct free, fair and credible elections in the state.
He condemned the activities of INEC officials and security agencies who he said had connived with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to disenfranchise the people through intimidation, writing and acceptance of fake results in some communities.
While stressing the need for federal institutions such as the INEC to promote justice and fairness for democracy to thrive in the interest of the country, the Governor wondered why the REC and security agencies were excluded from signing the peace accord.
“What we experience in this state is state-sponsored terrorism. We have a situation in this state where communities are ransacked on the eve of election with the support of security operatives, law-abiding peaceful people are maimed and killed in the name of elections. Results were cooked up by the APC and INEC accepted such results and the Resident Electoral Commissioner is here talking about peace. Let’s be clear that, while peace is desirable, you cannot have peace without justice. Bayelsa is committed to peace, Bayelsa is peaceful and we are committed as a government to peace; but while we talk about peace, let’s not deceive people, let’s not be hypocritical, let’s talk about justice, lets talk about propriety of actions,” the Governor said.
“I know you are acting on the mandate of the National Peace Committee, but I was wondering why only the political parties and their candidates have to sign this peace undertaking. Why not INEC, why not the state REC, why not the representative of the National Chairman of INEC, why not the security agencies and why not the Nigerian military?”
Earlier the Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Matthew Kukah, who is also the Secretary of the National Peace Committee, underscored the importance of peace during and after elections.
Kukah urged Nigerians, particularly the people of Bayelsa, to imbibe the political culture of tolerance and peace while exercising their franchise, as only the living, he reminded them, can enjoy the dividends of democracy.