Assembly polls: Bayelsa urges FG to call army to order

 Austin Pade and Blessing Okorite

Peeved by alleged irregularities, violence and killings by men in uniform during the presidential and National Assembly elections, the Bayelsa State Government has called on the Federal Government to ensure that security operatives, particularly the Nigerian Army do not engage in partisanship during the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.

The state Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (Retd.), made the appeal, while speaking with newsmen shortly after Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, caucus members met with Governor Seriake Dickson in Government House, Yenagoa.

John Jonah, who condemned the partisan role played by the military in favour of the All Progressives Congress, APC, described the action, as a threat to the country’s democracy.

While lamenting the violence that marred the Saturday, February 23 elections in some parts of the state, he urged the people, who fled their homes to return and participate in the March 9 House of Assembly polls.

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The deputy governor stressed the need for the nation’s security personnel to be neutral and promote free, fair and credible elections in the upcoming polls.

He maintained that election is an important element of development that must be handled with utmost care for sustainable peace and progress to thrive in the country.

The deputy governor also called on the leaders and supporters of APC to give peace a chance in subsequent elections for the interest of the state.

John Jonah also drew the attention of the Federal Government to how security operatives attached to Pipeline Surveillance Contractors have always been used by some politicians against their opponents.

He, therefore, stressed the need for their withdrawal a day before any election takes place.

His words: “We are appealing to security agencies to play a more neutral role. We are not saying that the Army should support the PDP or any party. But all we are saying is that, our people should be allowed to come out and vote for any candidate of their choice.

“This is to ensure whoever emerges as the winner as prescribed in the electoral law will be accepted by all. Peace is what we are looking for. So we are also appealing to our friends in the APC to give peace a chance.

“Resorting to guns and other dangerous weapons will not help us. We are hearing they are planning to do more but we just want to see that as a mere rumour. But if that happens then that will be very unfortunate.

“The Army should know that in election matters they don’t play a direct role. The civil police do, while the army play supportive role.”

Earlier, a retired Federal Permanent Secretary and former Nigerian Ambassador to the Scandinavia, Ambassador Godknows Igali said the meeting deliberated on the need for a peaceful, free and fair conduct of the forthcoming election.

Candidates of the PDP for the forthcoming House of Assembly election were also part of the meeting.

In a related development, a coalition of governorship candidates in Rivers State has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chief of Army Staff and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to prohibit military personnel from taking part in the March 9, governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

The coalition, which has earlier endorsed Governor Nyesom Wike, the candidate of the PDP for the election, also called on INEC to remain neutral in the politics of the state.

Chairman Coalition, Pastor Ihunwo Samuel, who spoke on behalf of the over 52 candidates at a briefing on Friday in Port Harcourt, recalled that the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state were marred by violence.

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He stressed that the Army has become a threat not only to the holding of peaceful, free and credible elections but also to the survival of democracy in Rivers State, adding that the force should be excluded from participating in the governorship and House of Assembly elections.

“We the Rivers State gubernatorial candidates of all the political parties for the 2019 general elections collectively express our concern over the militarization of last week Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections and condemn the brazen violence, snatching of election materials, harassment and abduction of electoral officers and the wanton killings of innocent persons by the Nigerian Army in Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Ahoada West, Andoni, Bonny, Degema, Emouha, Ikwerre and Okrika Local Government Areas of the State.

“Of course, the partisan involvement and subversive activities of the army, especially the General Officer Commanding, the 6 Division of the Nigeria Army, Major General Jamil Sarham and his unpatriotic band of soldiers in last week’s Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections are well known to the entire world.

“As governorship candidates of the various political parties, we are more than committed to the success of the Governorship and Houses of Assembly elections in our dear Rivers State.

“Accordingly, we would neither tolerate, support nor accept any act of commission or omission, deliberate or otherwise, by INEC to either exclude any political party from the ballot papers and or deny the people of Rivers State their God-given rights to peacefully, freely and fairly participate and elect their governor and state legislators come 9th of March 2019.

“To this end, we call on INEC to remain absolutely neutral in the politics of Rivers State and ensure that none of the politic parties is unlawfully, deliberately or negligently excluded from the ballot papers for the next week Saturday’s governorship and Hoses of Assembly general elections,” he said.