The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, NSCSR, has appraised Saturday’s governorship election in Bayelsa State with a verdict that politicians in the state defiled the peace accord which they had entered into prior to the election. The group consequently called for investigation of all acts of violence and the arraignment and prosecution of all persons that have promoted or carried out violence in the election
The NSCSR Coordinator, Anyakwee Nsirimovu, in a statement he issued in Yenagoa on Sunday, stressed that the lack of synergy between security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, resulted in the failure of the elections to hold in the entire Southern Ijaw Local Government Area as well as in polling units and wards in Nembe, Brass and Ogbia local government areas of the state.
The statement reads, “Situation Room findings indicate that political parties stoked the fires of violence in the State during this election leading to incidents of violent clashes between their supporters, occasioning deaths, injury and mayhem. The conduct of the politicians defied their open show of signing of a peace accord.
“Situation Room calls on INEC to evaluate the use of card reader technology in election with a view to improving on its efficiency and effectiveness. Situation Room is also disappointed with political leaders in the state whose conduct, carriage and disposition encouraged aggressive behavior and violence on the part of their supporters.
“Situation Room further calls for investigation of all acts of violence and the arraignment and prosecution of all persons that have promoted or carried out violence in this election.
“Our findings indicate although certain areas in the state had been previously identified as high risk areas, security agencies did not deploy effectively to reflect this, making it difficult for INEC to be provided adequate security to deploy personnel across the state.
“This resulted in the failure of the elections to hold in the entire Southern Ijaw local government area as well as in polling units and wards in Nembe, Brass and Ogbia local government areas.”
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