Police Fortify Security For Bayelsa Guber Poll
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – Focused on ensuring seamless operations for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a smooth and hitch-free governorship election in Bayelsa State on Saturday, the Police hierarchy have fortified security in four local government areas believed to be politically volatile in the State.
The Deputy Inspector-General of Police supervising the South-South zone, Daniel Sokari-Pedro, who disclosed this during a meeting with election stakeholders at the Police Officers’ Mess in Yenagoa, on Thursday, said the Inspector General Kayode Egbetokun, was committed to a free and fair electoral process.
Sokari-Pedro, who is in charge of Election Management Security in Bayelsa, said the three senatorial districts of the state were also violence-prone and listed the four local governments as Nembe, Southern Ijaw, Brass, Sagbama, and Kolokuma/Opokuma, adding that “almost all the local government areas are politically-volatile” as far as the election was concerned.
According to the DIG; “It is a known fact Bayelsa State is a peaceful State. Nevertheless, it is, election-wise, a volatile state. The three senatorial districts that make up the state are politically volatile. And some of the local governments and flash-points have been identified in the three senatorial zones.
“These include Sagbama, Nembe, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Southern Ijaw and, I think, Brass. Almost all the local governments are politically-volatile. But the ones I have just mentioned are the most volatile. I mentioned Nembe, Southern Ijaw, Brass, Sagbama and Kolokuma/Opokuma.”
The DIG, who was accompanied by his deputy on election duty in Bayelsa, AIG Ebong Eyibio, and the AIG Zone 16 headquarters, Yenagoa, AIG Paul Odama, also read the riot act to troublemakers, particularly violent youths and their sponsors, to steer clear of voting centres across the state.
Sokari-Pedro further said, “But we are assuring the peace-loving Bayelsans that in this election, not only the proxies will be dealt with, their identified principals will equally be dealt with. Take note. The fate that befalls the proxies will be visited on the principals.”
As part of preparations for a peaceful poll, he said the officers and men had been directed to carry out a show of force in all the local government areas on Thursday and Friday.
Governor Douye Diri, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is from Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA; his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Timipre Sylva, is from Brass LGA, while the Labour Party (LP) flag bearer and former Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide President, Comrade Udengs Eradiri is from Bayelsa Central.
