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Omoniyi Salaudeen
Some concerned stakeholders under the aegis of Ijaw Elders Forum have raised the alarm over some emerging political trends in Bayelsa State capable of truncating the aspiration of the people to freely elect a leader of their own in the November 16 governorship election.
In a press statement issued by Mr. Efiye Bribena, the group noted with dismay, deliberate moves by some prominent state actors to abort peaceful and credible electoral process through manipulations of the governorship primaries of both the ruling and opposition political parties in the state. The development, it warned, could undermine the credibility of the process and ultimately throw the state into turmoil.
“The atmosphere in the state has been further charged lately by rampant reports about dangerously undemocratic manoeuvres within the ruling and opposition parties in the state that cannot be ignored by responsible citizens, government authorities, national leaderships of parties and other stakeholders concerned with preventing or reducing political disaster risks.”
This as the group further condemned the alleged shoddy conduct of the recent local government election in the state, stating that it was characterized by irregularities and widespread voter apathy arising from the perceived lopsidedness in the composition of the Bayelsa State Electoral Commission.
Also making apparent reference to an audio tape, where Governor Seriake Dickson was allegedly heard instructing the newly elected local government chairmen to vote for a particular aspirant of the PDP in its primaries, IEF warned that such “unilateral imposition of governorship candidates to protect narrow personal interests within the major political parties through the illicit use of public funds and patronage could create an explosive whirlwind.”
“As early confirmation of our fears, a bomb blast marked the state’s ruling party’s conduct of the ward congresses to elect delegates to the state congress for the governorship primaries. This is despite the consistent campaign for credible and peaceful elections, jointly mounted by the Ijaw Elders Forum, G24 Embasara Foundation, Ijaw Professionals Association, Ijaw Women Connect, Ijaw Nation Forum and Ijaw Nation Development Group,” IEF added.
It, therefore, called for concerted efforts of all stakeholders to curtail the threat of violence ahead of the governorship poll, adding that the prospect of peaceful and credible election might be dashed, if the alarming signals from some prominent political gladiators are not averted.
