Bayelsa Polls: Lawyers Seek Probe Of Military Involvement In Electoral Malpractice

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A civil rights organisation,ย Lawyers inย Defenceย of Democracy, has. Asked on the Federal Government to investigate the alleged role of security agencies, particularly the military “in the whole episode of electoral corruption in Southernย Ijaw” during theย Bayelsa State governorship election.
Such investigation, it advised, must also look at the role of the police high command “leading to such mind boggling violence as widely reported in the media as well as that of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)ย to unravel any complicity.”
The National Secretary of LDD,ย Ikechukwuย Ikeji, who tabled the demands during a press conference on Wednesday in Yenagoa,ย praised the courage of Bayelsansย by fearlessly standing firm to defend their rights to vote even in the face of intimidation by security agencies.
He said, “The allegation of collusion by top officials of the army, police and those of the INEC allegedly corralled to do the bidding of the All Progressives Congressย (APC) candidate,ย Timipreย Sylva isย unconscionable becauseย it sends a very wrong signal of possibleย annihilation of democracy and rule ofย law. Yes,ย the rule of jungle is anathema inย aย democraticย systemย of government. It is clearly a dangerous step which calls for a thorough investigation by the Federal Government before it becomes a routine in future elections and in particular when the SouthernIjawย election is rescheduled.
“This isย why weย call on the Federalย Government toย properly investigate the alleged role of the military in the whole episode of electoral corruption in Southernย Ijawย as claimedย byย Governor Dicksonย which would be in line with similar on-going investigationย of the role of the same institution in the 2015 general elections inย Ekitiย andย Osunย States.ย The investigation must commence without further delay.
“Such investigation must also look at the role of the police high command leading to such mind boggling violence as widely reported in the media as well as that of INECย to unravel any complicity.
“We have looked carefully at the whole scenario and think rationally that the governorโ€™s accusationย is not without some substance.ย Itย cannot and must not be dismissed as frivolous as the APC, an interest party, inย Bayelsaย has said.”
Excerpts!…
Gentlemen of the Press,
We want to welcome you all to this Press conference we have called to brief you on the unfolding political developments in Bayelsaย State.
You are all aware of the various issues in the governorship election of December 5th and 6thย with the eventual cancellation of the expected rerun of the remaining part of the election in southernย Ijaw.
We have followed the developments inย Bayelsaย State with utmost concern especially on the implication for our national interest and of course the challenge it poses to democratization in the country.
Asย one of thoseย bodies and individualsย whoย wereย in the stateย to monitor the election, weย can report on behalf of our body here todayย that what we saw in Southernย Ijawย was nothing short of anarchy. The extreme case of desperation on the part of politicians was just unthinkable leading to a gross manipulation of the electoral process which effectively corrupted the election and was accordingly cancelled.ย We condemn this desperate mentality of the politicians involved in this regrettable incident of violence akin to do-or-die kind of politics whichย is usually aimed at disenfranchising the people to satisfy their selfish interest.
We believe the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC) took the right decision by this cancellation which we hope can now allow the people of Southernย Ijawย exercise their inalienable franchise to vote according to theirย choices in the election whenever it is rescheduled.
This is important because democracy isย all about the peopleย who should be allowed to freely elect their leaders without recourse to violence and intimidation.ย Otherwise democracy is imperiled and the outcome of such election cannot be regarded as truly representing the wishes and aspirations of the people.
But as much as we must blame theย political leaders, the alleged collusion of the militaryย topย brass, the police and other highly placed individuals in the Federal Government calls for concern and we believeย thisย seriously challenge our collective interest as a people and nation.ย Election becomes a parody of the real thing when the process lacks integrity.
It is not that we have not experienced electoral malpractices in the past but in a new political environment where the change mantra is the order of the day asย anย important element of Presidentย Muhammaduย Buhariโ€™sย leadership and government, the reported accusation of some highly placed individuals at the federal level having a hand in the orchestrated attempts to rig the election in Southernย Ijawย must agitate our minds and we condemn this action in very strong terms.
The allegation of collusion by top officials of the army, police and those of the INEC allegedly corralled to do the bidding of the All Progressives Congressย (APC) candidate,ย Timipreย Sylva isย unconscionable becauseย it sends a very wrong signal of possibleย annihilation of democracy and rule ofย law. Yes,ย the rule of jungle is anathema inย aย democraticย systemย of government. It is clearly a dangerous step which calls for a thorough investigation by the Federal Government before it becomes a routine in future elections and in particular when the SouthernIjawย election is rescheduled.
We could have disregarded the allegation but when it came from the state governor,ย Seriakeย Dickson, on national television stations and widely reported in the newspapers, we should take it seriously.
According to the governor, the attempted rigging plan was aimed at deflating his lead in the election having won in 7 of the 8 local governments in the state but with manipulation of the election in Southernย Ijaw, some ridiculous figures would be conjured and credited to the APC candidate who will then be declared winner. Governor Dickson wouldย thereafter beย battling in court which is not a realistic option, hence his loud voice to save democracy.
This isย why weย call on the Federalย Government toย properly investigate the alleged role of the military in the whole episode of electoral corruption in Southernย Ijawย as claimedย byย Governor Dicksonย which would be in line with similar on-going investigationย of the role of the same institution in the 2015 general elections inย Ekitiย andย Osunย States.ย The investigation must commence without further delay.
Such investigation must also look at the role of the police high command leading to such mind boggling violence as widely reported in the media as well as that of INECย to unravel any complicity.
We have looked carefully at the whole scenario and think rationally that the governorโ€™s accusationย is not without some substance.ย Itย cannot and must not be dismissed as frivolous as the APC, an interest party, inย Bayelsaย has said.
Governor Dicksonย claimed so assertively that prior to the ill-fated conduct of the election in Southernย Ijaw, he had informed INEC and security authorities that political thugs and criminal element had taken over the entire Southernย Ijawย and advised that the election be postponed but his advice was ignored.
We also saw the Deputy Inspector-General ofย Police, Hashimuย Argungunย who wasย mandated to ensure a hitch-freeย environment conduciveย to hold a peaceful electionย telling the whole worldย on televisionย that the situation in Southernย Ijawย was okay to holdthe election but invariably turned out to beย aย fiasco. So what went wrong?ย Why the hurry to conduct the election when it was obvious the security situation was tension soaked?ย Why did he and other top ranking army officials in the same boat withArgunguย refused toย heed the advice of the governor as the chief security officer of the state? Was there actually a deliberate plan to rig the election inย favourย of APC candidate by the agencies of the Federal Government as Governor Dickson claimed?
These are weighty questionsย demanding appropriate answers fromย all those accused in the macabre dance inย Bayelsaย State which we believe constitutesย a huge negative on the administration of Presidentย Buhari, especially as a beneficiary of a clean election.
Incidentally the ignoble rampaging of electoral manipulation occurred in former Presidentย Goodluckย Jonathanโ€™s state, a man who choseย honourย and national interest instead of power and handed over to Presidentย Buhari. So why should we have a reversal of democratic consolidation so soon?
Of course the whole shameful episode is now beforeย the international community which suggests that democracy is heading towards the rocks in the current dispensation if care is not takenย and the imperativeย to call to order those whoย are clearly abusing their offices all in the name of politics.ย PresidentBuhariย certainly cannot afford to fail the nation because the consequence would be disastrous for all of us
In this regard,ย we hereby call on the Federal Government to do all within its powers to ensure a violence free rerun whenever election is to be conducted in Southernย Ijawย by ensuring that credible personnel from the various security agenciesย are in charge of security in the entire area. The allegation that security top command handed electoral materials to APC members to rig the election remains a sour point in any estimation of the Southernย Ijawย saga.ย Too bad for democracy.ย INECย must also be ready to hold a free, fair and credibleย election as the entire worldwatchesย andย assessesย the impartiality of its new leadership.
We want to use this opportunity to praise the courage of Bayelsansย by fearlessly standing firm to defend their rights to vote even in the face of intimidation by security agencies. They have proven that no amount of abuse of power through intimidation and violence can kill the will of the people with a resolve to do what is right as against perfidy as we can best describe the orchestrated attempt to rig the election in SouthernIjaw.
We must all rise against this regrettable situation which can only tarnish the nationโ€™s image in the comity of nations. Democracy must survive in our country.
We thank you all for your attention.
Ikechukwuย Ikeji
National Secretary
Lawyers inย Defenceย of Democracy
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