From: Bamidele Fasube
The Transition Monitoring Group TMG on Monday said Nigerians should apportion blames on leaders of the All Progressives Congress APC and People’s Democratic Party PDP in Bayelsa state for the violence that marred the supplementary gubernatorial elections in the state.
The group, in its election observation reports, expressed disappointments that the violence that marred the election was fuelled by leaders of the political parties.
Chairman of the group, Ibrahim Zikirullahi who presented the report, noted that;”for Nigeria’s elections to become credible, political parties must become democratic, transparent and accountable.
According to him, both parties acted contrary to the spirit of the Yenagoa Peace Accord, thus called on both parties to abide by the terms of this in future polls.
Also, he condemned the high level of insecurity, harassment and intimidation of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC officials, voters and observers which led to massive irregularities throughout the electoral process.
While questioning the credibility of the the election from which the PDP’s candidate, Honourable Seriake Dickson is declared winner, he said;” all of these grave infractions clearly show that the Bayelsa Governorship grossly falls below the global standards for elections as enunciated in international instruments on human rights and credible elections.”
The most critical incidents reported, he said, include; Ballot box snatching, intimidation and harassment of voters, poll officials, observers and political party poll Agents, stealing of Ballot papers, vote buying and bribery, not posting results, partisan poll officials and not counting ballot papers.
“All Political parties in Nigeria continue to exhibit a lack of sskills and expertise to contest elections by the democratic rules of the game.
“As a consequence, they fall back on familiar strategies of buying supports, intimidation, harassment, and rigging. Undemocratic behaviour by political parties and their elected representatives undermines public confidence in the electoral process.” he added
It would be recalled, that the INEC had declared the December, 2015 gubernatorial election in the state as inconclusive due to violence that sprung up in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and other affected polling units in other Local Government Areas.
