Diri: Bayelsa poll will be contest of votes not guns… we won’t tolerate violence

Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa, has warned politicians in the state not to resort to mayhem and violence ahead of the November 11 governorship election.

Diri spoke on Friday during the state security council meeting at the government house, Yenagoa, the state capital.

The governor said the poll is about votes and not guns, warning that violence would not be tolerated.

Diri said his administration would ensure a level-playing field for all parties, and that the opposition in the state would not be arm-twisted.

He urged security agencies to be alert to forestall any act of violence ahead of the election.

“In Bayelsa, I assure my opponents that we are not going to arm-twist anyone. In the same vein, no opponent should threaten mayhem and violence,” Diri said.

“This government has the capacity to contain them if anybody dares us.

“We want a Bayelsa state, which is the centre and Jerusalem of all Ijaws, to play that role of not only tolerating ourselves but also visitors who come here to contribute to the growth and the development of this state.

“So, I again call on all our security agencies to be alert as we move towards the November 11 contest. It is a contest of votes and not of guns. It is a contest of ballots, not bullets.

“As the former president succinctly said that his office was not worth the blood of any Nigerian, I believe in that and I stand by those words.”