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By Amos Odeh
The governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson has been described as the perpetrator and author of violence and should be held responsible for any violence during the forthcoming elections in the state.
Capt.Mathew Karimo who is contesting for the Bayelsa West Senatorial under the platform of APC stated this while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the commissioner of police, Bayelsa State command’s meeting with chairmen of political parties and their candidates at officers’ mess in Yenagoa.
He commended the police for the meeting which he said is timely and apt and reiterated the importance of free and fair elections as violence is an ill wind that blows nobody any good.
He said he remained advocate of non-violence, but accused the state governor as the person behind all cases of violence during the elections of 2015, and has perfected arrangement to ferment violence in the next election, as he called on the law enforcement agencies to be up to their responsibility of protecting every candidate during and after the elections.
Karimo alleged that though the chief security officer, the governor was responsible for various acts of violence during the last election notably the maiming and killing of persons at Kabiama and Sagbama respectively.
“He ordered the beating to stupor of a young man called Abacha and another one that was overrun by vehicle. He is the most violent governor who also entered a court and disrupted the court and everybody scamper for safety and security,” he said.
He also said that in spite his popularity as a grassroots mobilizer, he heard on good authority that there are plans to scuttle his ambitions, and to kidnap, abduct and frame up charges against him.
He called on the police and INEC to be neutral and appealed to other candidates to play by the rules and ensure that the best candidates emerge winners.
According to the speaker of Bayelsa State House of Assembly, who is contesting for the Southern Ijaw Federal constituency, Rt Hon Friday Konbowei Benson, the opposition should note that nobody has monopoly of violence and confirmed that he is aware of threats and plans by the opposition to deploy gun boats to the creeks and stated that since he embarked on his campaigns he has not been intimidated, saying campaigns should be issue based.” If I am not qualified vote me out, though l have been paying school fees,” he said.
Also speaking the APC candidate for Ekeremor/Sagbama Federal Constituency, Famous Daunemughan said as far as he was concerned as an advocate of free and fair election, the meeting summoned by the police was not only a jamboree, charade and rhetoric as he does not have confidence in the police.
He as an activist he entered the race to be given the opportunity to fight for the rights and development of constituency, but alleged that due to his popularity the opposition have started destroying his posters in his wards at Ndoro and Peretorugbene where his majority of his votes would count, but when he reported to the police they assured him they would investigate it, but until now the Divisional Police Officer at Ekeremor has not done anything. “I don’t want to be investigated while am dead, but l want to be investigated while am alive ,” he cried to the police.
He also alerted the police of the role politicians are playing by engaging the ex- militants, the self-acclaimed generals who are mobilized to aid and abet election. Meanwhile the Bayelsa state commissioner of police, Aminu Saleh and the administrative secretary, Cyril Omoregbe of INEC said the meeting was conveyed to remind the politicians and the candidates of the need to adhere to the electoral guide lines and assured of the role the police will play during the elections. They appreciated the anger and vituperations by the various politicians and political parties where the INEC and Police were accused of being parts of electoral malpractices.
Text messages sent to the state commissioner of information, seeking a response to the issues, went unanswered.