NGO cautions PDP, APC against violent election

Anon- governmental organisation (NGO), Coalition for Development and Democracy in Bayelsa State (CDDB) has cautioned the major political parties in the state to desist from any plan to use violence or monetary inducement to win the forth-coming gubernatorial election.

Bayelsans go to the polls on Saturday, November 16 to elect a new governor and CDDB said the major political parties should think of how to convince the electorate to vote for their candidates through the enunciation of their plans and ideas on how to develop the state.

A statement by the group made available to BusinessDay in Yenagoa and signed by the Executive Director, Ekiyor Welson, said the group charged security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor their leaders and stalwarts throughout the election period.

“Leaders and major foot soldiers of the two major parties” should be put “under surveillance throughout the duration of the build-up, to the Election Day proper, to checkmate the deployment of arms, ammunition and thugs before, during and after the elections,” the group said.

Welson, who made the call at the end of a voter education exercise against violence, rigging and ballot snatching in communities in Sagbama Local Government Area in partnership with INEC, said such a move was imperative to avert bloodshed during the election.

A CDDB team carried out the voter education exercise in the three constituencies of the local government area and visited communities including Ofoni, Angalabiri, Toru- Orua, Ogobiri, Ebedebiri, Sagbama, Tungbo, Tungbabiri, Angiama, Agbere and Odoni.

The group used the opportunity to preach the gospel of peaceful and non-violent election, urging the people not to sell their votes while voting for a credible candidate that would address the development challenges facing the state.

Welson also commended INEC in the state for partnering NGOS and CSOS in the state in carrying out the voter education exercise and asked political parties and the state government to emulate INEC.

The group said the response from the people at the grassroots was encouraging and an indication that the twin scourge of violence and vote selling was also detested by the people.