Bayelsa guber: Dickson demands withdrawal of soldiers from Southern Ijaw LG

The Bayelsa State Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state’s ongoing governorship election, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, has called for the immediate withdrawal of soldiers deployed to monitor the election.

Dickson specifically accused them of colluding with the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission to rig election in seven wards in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

Making the allegation during a live radio interview on Monday in Yenagoa, the governor said despite calls by the stakeholders for postponement of the election as a result of the security challenges, which led to the death of no fewer than five persons, INEC went ahead without addressing the issue.

According to the governor, electoral materials meant for the election were distributed late in the night and subsequently hijacked by suspected APC thugs aided by military personnel.

He disclosed that some INEC adhoc staff and corps members are still being held hostage for failure to accede to the request of some APC chieftains in the affected wards.

Apart from intimidating and harassing eligible voters, members of the leading opposition party hid under the cover of darkness to perpetrate electoral fraud, which included thumb printing of election materials and filling of the election result sheets, Dickson alleged.

Expressing concern over what he described as undemocratic act and a flagrant violation of the fundamental human rights of law abiding people of the state by the INEC officials and security operatives, Governor Dickson called for the timely intervention of the international community to prevail on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal government to ensure fairness.