NEDU MARK, Yenagoa
At least 14 political parties that participated in last Saturday’s governorship election in Bayelsa State have strongly condemned the role played by military personnel in the election.
The parties said they opposed the use of thugs, militants, military personnel and other means to intimidate, oppress, hijack and steal electoral materials meant for the election.
Spokesman, of the political parties Prince Elemah who is also the state chairman, Independent Democrats, in a press briefing in Yenagoa, Wednesday, said having collated the reports from the different polling units, Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) officers, local and international observers NGOs, and others, took exception to the situation where ‘materials were distributed late in the afternoon, and accreditation done in the evening and voting at night in Southern Ijaw.’
“That we condemn and vehemently oppose the use of thugs, militants, military personnel and other means to intimidate, oppress, hijack and steal INEC electoral materials for the purpose of election.
“We totally condemn in strong terms electoral fraud that characterized the exercise in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, where INEC personnel and materials were hijacked by hoodlums, through the instrumentality of the security operatives to harass, intimidate and dehumanize electorates, our agents and party members”, they said.
The parties, therefore, vowed to ‘resist any attempt by any political party, group and/or agency to manipulate, hijack and/ or intimidate the electorates, party agents and INEC from exercising their franchise or carrying out their legitimate functions during the re-scheduled election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.’
They also dissociated themselves from any candidate or political party threatening the leadership of INEC in the course of carrying out their lawful duty, and commended Bayelsans for their peaceful disposition despite the security challenges during the elections.
The parties restated their commitment to the peace accord signed by the political parties, and their candidates to maintain the peace before, during and after the elections.
The political parties that signed the statement issued by the group include, Social Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, KOWA, Independent Democrats, Progressives People’s Alliance, Peoples Party of Nigeria and the Democratic Party of Nigeria.
Others include; the Democratic People’s Congress, African Peoples Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Mega Peoples Party, United Peoples Party and Peoples Democratic Congress.
