election

By Dapo Akinrefon

WORRIED by the previous experience of violence and electoral malfeasance in Bayelsa State, some concerned stakeholders, recently converged on Yenagoa to brainstorm on peaceful way to achieve a free, fair and credible governorship election in November 16.

Cross Section of Ijaw Council of Elders, Delta State & Warri Council of Chiefs during the parley

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The conference, themed: Peaceful and Credible Governorship Election and Good Governance in Bayelsa State: Building Consensus Through The Ijaw Charter and IJaw Nation Code of Ethics, Leadership and Governance, was organized by the Ijaw Elders’ Forum, IEF.

The conference, which drew participants from across all walks of life, including political parties and the aspirants, stressed the need for a non-violence and credible election.

It was unanimously agreed that there is an urgent need to change the narrative about Bayelsa being perceived as a violence-prone state.

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The participants also condemned violence in whatever form as a means of aspiring for leadership position.

ROLL CALL

Dignitaries at the event included: Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah retd; King Bubraye Dakolo; Gen. Paul Toun – chairman, Board of Trustees, Ijaw Professionals Association; Dr. Austin Tam-George, former  Commissioner of Information, Rivers State; Efiye Bribena, secretary, Ijaw Elders Forum, Lagos; Rt. Hon. Tonye E. Isena, speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly;  Mr. Iniruo Wills – Co-convener of Embassara Foundation;  and Arc. Denzil Amagbe Kentebe – chairman, Board of Trustees, Embassara Foundation.

Factors that promote electoral violence

The Guest Speaker, Dr Austin Tam-George, in his lecturer paper entitled: Electoral Violence and Superstition of Power, outlined some of the factors that promote electoral violence.

These include contempt for people, lack of confidence in the electoral process, culture of impunity as well as lack of compelling message, among others. He described the entrenched culture of impunity as the greatest danger to democracy, blaming the worrisome trend on absence of deterrence.

“Without prosecution of those involved in violence during election, this culture of impunity will not stop. And it endangers democracy. What we have now is democracy without the people. Electoral violence can only produce mediocre. There can be no visionary leadership where election is characterized by violence. There can no transparency and accountability from leaders who emerge through violence. Electoral violence diminishes everyone,” he said.

In his opening address, Chairman of the event and traditional ruler of Ebenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, King Bubraye  Dakolo, urged all aspirants to eschew violence during and after the election.

He said: “An election is about brain and not about guns. Let the game be a peaceful one. I will also like to suggest that all aspirants should be made to take an oath that they will not encourage violence and anyone who encourages violence should be ex-communicated.”

INEC should be fair to all – Deputy gov

The deputy governor, Jonah, who commended the organizers for the peace initiative, charged traditional rulers to ensure that the message of peace is taken to the grassroots.

He also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to be fair to all because “where an election is not free and fair, there will always be a reaction and you cannot predict the reaction.”

Secretary of the IEF, Mr. Efiye Bribena, told the audience that the international community had expressed its strong support for the peace initiative, promising to sanction anyone involved in violence during the election.

“The international community is interested in the election coming up in November. They are partnering with us to have free and credible election. Their absence in today’s event is due to security reports. They have called in to apologize for the unavoidable absence and expressed the readiness to sanction anyone involved in violence,” he said.

The major highlight of the event was the signing and affirmation of non-violence agreement by the governorship aspirants as a demonstration of their commitment to a peaceful and credible election.

Signatories to the agreement included the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (retd) (People’s Democratic Party- PDP); Dr. F. Erepamo Osaisai, Kemela Okara, Mrs Diseye Nsim Poweigha (All Progressives Congress- APC), Speaker of the House of Assembly, Tonye Isenah and Eneyi Zidougha, chairman, Inter Party Advisory Council.

The conference, which was a follow up to the earlier workshop held in May, aimed at building an enduring culture of peace and tolerance from the top to the grassroots.

The Chairman, BoT, G24 Embasara Foundation and former Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Arch Amagbe Denzil Kentebe, assured that the initiative would be sustained beyond election period.

His words: “We have been having radio programmes where we are talking directly to the Bayelsans.

“Everybody in one way or the other is trying to disseminate this information. This agitation for violence is coming from the top. And that is why we are targeting political actors to make them agree to a peaceful process. The good thing about getting the politicians, who are always the culprits, together is to make them affirm that they will not be violent prone.

“Violence comes in when someone doesn’t have something to offer. It is a very expensive programme that we have. And don’t forget we are doing it from our own personal contributions because we believe that if there is no violence during election in Bayelsa State, we will have the best of leadership. And the best of leadership will always ensure great development. What we are trying to do is to change the narrative.”

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