Bayelsa: Redeploy DIG, CP – Guber candidates

Bayelsa: Redeploy DIG, CP – Guber candidates

By Our Reporter  on December 11, 2015
•PDP accuses security agencies of partIsanship
From FTaiwo Amodu, Abuja & Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The crisis trailing the botched Bayelsa State governorship election deepened yesterday when a group of gubernatorial candidates, United Governorship Forum for Credible Elections, called for the redeployment of Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Hassan Argungu and the state Police Commissioner, Nasiru Oki, for allegedly supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Southern Ijaw poll.
 This even as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused the military and the police of also aiding the APC. INEC has cancelled Southern Ijaw poll, citing irregularities.
 The forum’s position which was stated in a communique read by Mr William Berezi after its meeting in Yenagoa, deplored the role played by some Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, Police and Army.
 According to the group, it is deeply worried that federal institutions whose duty is not only guaranteeing security of lives and property in that local government during the election and also ensure a free, fair and credible poll, displayed  bias for a preferred political party.
 The group which pointed out that there is no guarantee that the rescheduled election would not be characterised by similar violence, stressed that neutral persons should be posted to supervise the election.
 It also called on the military High Command to completely withdraw all soldiers deployed to provide security in Southern Ijaw.
“We are calling on INEC that all the electoral materials used in the botched Southern Ijaw election should be jettisoned and new materials should be deployed to consider the fresh poll. We know for a fact that some of the hijacked materials are still in the hands of APC thugs and if not changed, those same materials would be used to rig the rescheduled election” it said.
 They also called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to feign ignorance about what was happening in Bayelsa and order a probe of the alleged involvement of top government functionaries.
 Meanwhile, the Sylva/ Igiri Campaign Organisation (SICO) has insisted on the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Baritor Kpagih.
 The Director of Publicity, Chief Nathan Egba, who said Kpagih and former President Goodluck Jonathan were colleagues in Nigeria Customs before his retirement in 2008 and subsequent appointment as REC in 2012, his relationship with Jonathan and his wife influenced his conduct during the Bayelsa governorship election.
 Meanwhile, the Acting national chairman of PDP, Chief Uche Secondus, has called on the military to refrain from partisan politics in the interest of the nation’s democracy.
 Speaking with newsmen yesterday in Abuja while appraising the conduct of the military and INEC in last Saturday’s inconclusive governorship election, Secondus alleged that soldiers who were deployed to maintain peace were used by the APC to intimidate and harass PDP members in Southern Ijaw.
 The election was marred by violence in Southern Ijaw which informed the cancellation of the result from the local government by the INEC.
 Secondus said:” They aren’t APC army, the institution is called Nigerian Army. They must not play partisanship during elections. Their duty is to protect all of us, whether APC or PDP.
“ The report we got from Southern Ijaw was alarming. We must allow peace to reign. If the military wants to participate in politics, then the Constitution must be changed.”
He noted that in the last administration, soldiers were drafted to maintain peace, but were nowhere near polling units.
“The soldiers deployed in Bayelsa, particularly Southern Ijaw, were allegedly handing over materials to APC. In previous elections, under Dr Jonathan, they weren’t at polling units.”
Secondus expressed confidence that his party would retain the state as he noted that the PDP was already in clear lead based on results announced by INEC.
“Southern Ijaw is a PDP  stronghold for over  16 yrs. So there couldn’t ve been any magic overnight to change the will of the people.
“We believe that election has been won already and the governor and the good people of Bayelsa State have spoken and INEC and the security agencies must respect the will of the people,” he said