By Samuel Oyadongha
YENAGOA – GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has accused the military authorities particularly the General Officer Commanding, 6th Division of the Nigerian Army of subverting the will of the people in the electoral process in the state.

Dickson who made the accusation Sunday at media chat in Yenagoa, decried unlawful orders issued by the GOC to officers and men who allegedly provided cover for APC leaders and thugs to carry out electoral fraud in some parts of the state.

Governor Dickson

The governor also condemned the killings and hijacking of electoral materials in areas such as Bassambiri, Oluasiri, Opu Nembe, Agbere, Oweikorogha, Apoi, Azuzuama and Korokorosei as well as taking hostage of officer’s hostage in a hotel at Bassambiri, describing the acts as terrorism.

He therefore called on the Independent Electoral Commission to reject results from the affected areas to promote the integrity of the Commission and the electoral process.

Dickson however commended the people of Ekeremor and Twon Brass who for the first time took the bold step to vote in the election.

He attributed the development to his administration’s relentless advocacy for the respect for the fundamental human rights and the creation of the conducive atmosphere for political participation in the state.

The governor lamented that the Nigerian Army, a major respected public institution could lower its reputation to take directives from politicians to do their biddings contrary to their code of conduct guiding its operations.

Dickson who expressed sadness over the shooting of Government House Photographer, Reginald Dei and gruesome murder of PDP members including the Ward Chairman In Oweikorogha community Mr. Seidougha Taribi, sympathisezd with their families over the incident.

He said his administration would set up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the political killings and other offences committed during the 2019 general elections.

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Dickson assured that appropriate actions would be taken against those found culpable, pointing out that, the outcome of the Inquiry would be made available to all appropriate quarters including foreign missions.

His words:”It is unfortunate that the GOC has turned this Division to be the most politicized in the country. Illegitimate orders were issued where a General and officers were seen escorting politicians and supervising elections in Bayelsa. That is how the military particularly the Nigerian Army has reduced its integrity.

“You all know how I respect and support security agencies in this state who carry out their duties professionally and I will continue to do so.”

He added that at Agbere, a community that has never known electoral crisis, they went with about 50 soldiers in company of an APC chieftain that heads one of the federal government agencies to scatter ballot papers which made women to protest the violation of their rights. They have turned our state into a garrison of sorts.

“The President Muhammadu Buhari that they are working for, how many guns has he bought for thugs to be shooting their own people in Katsina. In the same vein, in Atiku’s Adamawa, do we see APC leaders bringing security personnel to terrorize and kill their own people because of election?”

“I have all the evidence of the illegalities the General and his men were perpetrating against legitimate voters who were only asking to exercise their franchise freely and peacefully.

“They provided cover to APC leaders. Every APC leader has hordes of security officials during the election, when we don’t even have enough police officers to man polling units.

“From all available intelligence, our state is under attack. APC thugs brandish weapons, shoot and terrorize our people in Bassambiri and carted away election materials meant for 7 wards.”

But the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State in a statement accused Governor Seriake Dickson of raising a false alarm about violence during Saturday’s presidential election in the state to try to conceal his own violent attitude to the poll.

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APC through its State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, said Dickson and his supporters in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were to blame for any crisis during the election in the state following their groundwork, which they unsuccessfully tried to mask.

APC said neither its leaders nor supporters had anything to do with violence or illegal activities during the election, and accused Dickson of trying to divert attention from his “evil plots” towards the vote by making hasty allegations against the party.