Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has accused the military and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials of colluding with a former governor of the state to produce fake results in the state House of Assembly election.
Dickson made the accusation while speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote in his home town, Toru Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
Dickson accused security agencies deployed to the state of planning to intimidate voters.
He stressed that the APC was resorting to electoral malpractices because it lacked the support base to win election in Bayelsa.
The governor also flayed the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state for his failure to enforce the electoral guidelines.
According to him, “The nation’s security apparatus that it had failed to carry out its constitutional responsibility to provide the conducive environment for the citizens to cast their votes to elect their representatives and leaders.
”We have major challenges in this state arising from militarisation and clear failure on the part of the agencies to do their jobs as it should be.
‘In Peremabiri in Southern Ijaw, several people, almost a thousand people couldn’t vote as they are now IDPs hiding in Yenagoa and other places.
“Criminals supported by the Nigerian military services have held the community hostage.
“Some security personnel who managed to get to Peremabiri were turned back and you ask me whether we have a nation within a nation.
“In Bassambiri, PDP leaders and followers were pushed out by force and they are now IDPs in Ogbolomabiri, Yenagoa and other communities.
“This is because the APC knows that they are not on ground in this state so they want to win by force.
“I have just received an alert that in Ayama Constituency, military officials are trying to overpower electoral officers to cart away materials so that they can write any result.
“And the REC and his team in our state have not demonstrated courage, professionalism, competence and respect for their own guidelines, all because they want to crown APC in Bayelsa by force,” Dickson said.
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