By Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa—The Labour Party, LP, candidate in the just-concluded House of Assembly election in Bayelsa State, Joseph Ogbe, has dragged the state Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Gboribiogha-Jonah (rtd) before the Inspector-General of Police, IG, and the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, over alleged violence and rigging which he alleged characterized the Assembly election in Nembe Constituency 1.

In two separate petitions, Ogbe alleged that he was threatened by thugs, and rescued by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, during the election, and urged the IG and the Human Rights Commission to investigate the deputy governor for allegedly instigating violence in the area.

He alleged that the deputy governor sponsored a candidate he wanted to win at all cost.

In the petition in Yenagoa, Ogbe alleged that the violence was aimed at disenfranchising the people of the area.

According to him, voters ran for their lives, while those who insisted on carrying out their civic duties were brutalized.

Ogbe  further alleged that he had received death threats since the election ended, and urged the police boss to urgently investigate the matter.

He said: “I write to inform you of the threat to my life on April 11, 2015, the day  the House of Assembly election was held across the country. The incident occurred in Nembe Constituency 1, which seat to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, I contested under the platform of the Labour Party, LP.  The threat came because of my resolve to contest the seat, which did not go down well with some very powerful persons in government.”