Dickson weeps for ’14 killed’ during Bayelsa poll

Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state, was in tears after learning of the death of 14 people during Saturday’s supplementary governorship election, his media aide, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, has said.

According to Iworiso-Markson, Dickson condemned in strong terms, the “electoral malpractice and violence which marred the supplementary elections in Brass, Nembe, Ekeremor town and parts of Southern Ijaw local government area”.

He quoted Dickson as accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) of masterminding the killings of innocent Bayelsans in Brass, Ekeremor, Nembe and Sothern Ijaw and wondered why the APC would kill to capture power.

“While reiterating his earlier stance that the APC was not ready for one-man one-vote, the governor said the violence has also vindicated him on his earlier position that the security agencies particularly, the Nigeria military, are partisan and not willing to protect the enabling environment for a free and fair election to take place,” read Iworiso-Markson’s statement.

“The governor also accused the security agencies of providing cover for the APC to perpetrate violence and rig the elections in the state. To achieve their sinister plot, APC militants hijacked election materials and wrote results in many wards of Southern Ijaw, Brass, Ekeremor town, Brass while elections were disrupted in parts of Yenagoa and in a polling unit in Otokpoti, Ogbia Local Government.

“The governor called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to cancel the elections in polling units where the APC hijacked election and results written.”

The statement claimed more than 14 people were feared dead, four of them policemen, two soldiers and eight civilians in Ekeremor alone.

“Many PDP members were attacked in Brass and Southern Ijaw and are in critical conditions at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa,” it read.

“The governor wept for those who were killed and prayed for the repose of their souls. While calling for the arrest of the perpetrators of the killings, Governor Dickson condoled the families of those who have lost their dear ones. Governor Dickson thanked Bayelsans for reposing confidence in him and his government and expressed confidence of victory.”