By Sampson Boron
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State says last Saturday governorship election in the state was a coup against democracy and the people of the state.
He said the figures from which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr David Lyon as winner and governor-elect were concocted and written in connivance with military and police operatives deployed to the state.
Dickson spoke on Tuesday at the Government House in Yenagoa during a world press conference to reject outcome of the November 16 governorship election won by the opposition APC.
It was his first reaction to the declaration of Lyon as the winner of the election which he said was well planned and executed coup by agents of the state against the peace-loving people of Bayelsa State.
The governor said, “Election has never been like this in this state before. I know that in 2015, we went through a very tough time, there was displayed of federal might, but at least, it was not as bad as this.
“This year, not only was the Nigerian army directed to take over our state, not only did the police who claimed that they have over thirty thousand men and officers on ground were looking the other way while our people were held down in Nembe and no steps were taken.
“Either to protect the people or to hold those who did that dastardly act to account, that was the first time that people were mowed down and killed, some ribs were tore opened in Nembe, and throw into the river, up till now no arrest, we know that APC leaders plotted and carried out that acts.
“Voters did not have the courage to go out and vote in Nembe, and yet you saw the results that were turned in from Nembe, and INEC which has invested so much resources, not tax payers’ money, but our oil money never bothered about the processes but accepted and collated the votes from Nembe, where no voting took place.
” INEC officials were held at gunpoint and people were thumb-printing. So, what took place in Bayelsa was not an election, it was a carefully planned federally executed operations.”
He stressed that PDP and its candidate in the election, Senator Douye Diri never lost the election but pointed out that the ruling APC hijacked the electoral process through agents of government who were meant to be protecting voters.
The disclosed that his party, PDP would challenge the outcome of the election in the-soon-to-be constituted governorship election petitions tribunal.
“Our candidate, Senator Douye Diri and the party Chairman have been speaking about the charade called ‘Election’ that took place in Bayelsa last Saturday, and the invasion of our state by security forces of our country and about the dehumanization of our people and how the majority of the areas and in places, where our people were denied the rights to vote for the governor of their choice.
“The story is all out there. What took place in Bayelsa on the 16 and 17 of November was not a democratic election, it was a military coup against our democracy. It was the height of conspiracy by the federal government and the security agencies and with the umpire (INEC) colluding and enabling in most cases the subversion of the democratic rights of our people for the sole purpose of achieving a pre-determined conclusion.
“I need to commend the peaceful people of Bayelsa, I know our people have been mourning, forget the stage managed series of celebrations by few APC supporters, but in general, our people are in mourning, our dignity has been invaded and ravaged, with the complicity of the institutions which by the law and the constitution are there to give credible and peaceful election”, Dickson stated.
He, however, assured that he will set up a transition committee to work out modalities for the smooth transition of power in the state come February 14, 2020.
