Bayelsa Guber: South-South Elders Indict Military, Write COAS

Following the alleged intimidation meted on some electorates by officials of the Nigerian military during the inconclusive Bayelsa state governorship election, South-South elders have written a letter to the chief of army staff (COAS), Major-General T. Y. Buratai.

Leadership reports that traditional rulers and elders from the South-South geo-political zone under the aegis of the South-South Peoples Assembly (SSPA), have called on COAS to investigate the role soldiers played in the violence and electoral fraud that caused the cancellation of the election in some local government areas of the state, as well as the poll being declared inconclusive by the INEC.

The SSPA, however, noted that though the deployment of soldiers were done to curb any possible breakdown of law and order during and after the gubernatorial election, especially the controversial
Southern Ijaw local government area, blamed the military personnel for showing a blind eye to the open display of lawlessness in the area.

The group therefore insisted that military personnel participated in the electoral fraud that marred the poll in the area, hence should be investigated criminal offenses.

The SSPA, in a statement issued in Yenagoa, by the secretary-general, Chief Ayakeme Whiskey, a copy obtained by this media read in parts: “The investigation to be instituted by the chief of army staff should cover issues of alleged involvement of soldiers in the hijack of election materials, provision of cover for electoral offenders and standing by while militia groups engaged in open orgy of violence in most local government areas including Southern Ijaw.

“We gather from field observers that the personnel of the JTF, whose apolitical role should be to escort materials to various wards and to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections, became partisan and interested parties. Rather than provide protection for the electorate and electoral materials, their involvement was more than mere passing interest.

“There was also the report of how personnel of the JTF purportedly abetted the release of electoral materials that were in the custody of a police station to an agent of the APC at about 4am after the materials had been recovered from the same party agent who hijacked it.”

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party had earlier accused the military personnel that participated in Bayelsa state governorship election of comprise.

But, an Ijaw group, Amaebi Foundation has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to try to discredit the gubernatorial election in Bayelsa by releasing false statement about the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Also, as part of reaction to the cancelled poll,  women from the local government in the state on Monday, December 7 staged a peaceful protest in Yenagoa against INEC or conducting the rescheduled state governorship election.