Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has claimed that Nigerians would not be safe to cast their votes in the forthcoming general election owing to threats by some political actors, especially in the state. Dickson, who raised the alarm during a media chat in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, accused the opposition of colluding with some security operatives in stock-pilling arms, which would be used to cause mayhem during the election. A statement by his Special Adviser, Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the governor as expressing concern over the influx of arms in recent times into the state while the security agencies allegedly looked the other way. Dickson said his administration has been receiving reports on the activities of some politicians whose mission, according to him, is to turn the Ijaw nation into shreds like the strongholds of Boko Haram.
His words: “We have to be concerned about the safety of our voters first before anything else. It is the job of security agencies to guarantee the safety of voters. A country where lives and property are not protected is a failed state. That is a ‘shit hole’ country so nobody should blame President Donald Trump when he said African countries are presiding over ‘shit hole’ countries.
“In this country, we have had several instances where security men and women in uniform collude with criminals and terrorists in rigging elections and undermine the peace and stability of states like Bayelsa.
“We now have partisan security officials who have become an armed wing of the ruling party. They are not interested in peace, law and order; their concern is more in political conquest than maintenance of law and order in this state.
“They have undermined the security of this state in such a way that I have lost count of the number of Commissioner of Police redeployed to the state within a space three months. This is the 10th CP they have sent.
“I am a governor whose authority has been most undermined in the area of security management of this state. I have records where security officers in Abuja will be calling militants and cult leaders, and how they give cover to their nefarious activities under the pretext of carrying out surveillance contracts.” Dickson, however, called on the people not to despair but turn out en masse to vote for candidates of their choice. He expressed optimism that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would clinch victory at the poll, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission to provide a level playing ground for all candidates.