NEDU MARK, Yenagoa
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State (PDP), has given his reasons for visiting Oporoma, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Council of the state on December 6, day of the rescheduled governorship election in the area.
He made the clarification, Sunday, through Jonathan Obuebite, the Director of Publicity for his campaign team, the Bayelsa Restoration Campaign Organization.
Dickson’s explanation follows claims by Brigadier-General Stevenson Olabanji, Commander, 2 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in charge of ‘Operation Safe Conduct’ for the Bayelsa election that “the sudden appearance of one of the governorship candidates fuelled the violence in Oporoma”.
The governor said he was Oporoma, headquarters of the LGA, because “security concerns were still at all-time high” after Saturday’s election was shifted to Sunday for the area.
He stated that as the Chief Security Officer of Bayelsa ‘it was imperative for him to visit Oporoma to see things for himself.’
Dickson insisted that he acted well within his rights and out of genuine concern for lives and property.
The governor said the security outfit under Olabanji failed to acknowledge that it erred by not heeding his advice and those of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) officials and ad hoc staff to postpone the election in Southern Ijaw following the gun battles between troops and militants throughout Friday night and Saturday morning.
The governor said Olabanji lied that his presence heightened insecurity in Oporoma which resulted in large-scale violence.
Dickson said he visited the area hours before the election started.
“Unfortunately, the JTF (‘Operation Safe Conduct’) lied that the governor’s presence further heightened insecurity in the area.
“That’s so cheeky and it only clearly shows that the military was indeed compromised. The governor went to Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw LGA, out of genuine concern for the security of lives of the citizens.
“He went there as early as 7am long before the commencement of election”, the campaign organisation said.
