Governorship aspirants if 11 registered political parties in Bayelsa State, under the aegis of United Governorship Forum for Credible Elections, have expressed concern over the miscarriage of justice in the re-scheduled election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
They therefore demanded the immediate redeployment of a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Hashimu Argungun; the state Commissioner of Police, Nasiru Oki; and heads of other security operatives for their involvement in the electoral fraud in Southern Ijaw.
The group also called for the immediate release of all members of the National Youth Service Corps held hostage by thugs and militants loyal to the All Progressives Congress without further delay and the probe of recalcitrant Independent National Electoral Commission officials who were alleged to be involved in the dastardly act
Speaking at press conference on Thursday in Yenagoa, the aspirants said the Army, Police and INEC under the watchful eyes of these officers aided the rigging, killings and maiming of innocent Bayelsans by leaders of the APC.
The Chairman of the Forum, Chief Inko Namatede, stated that further participation of the affected officers in the proposed re-scheduled election would lead to a repeat of the ugly incident.
The affected officers, according to the aspirants, conducted themselves in the most despicable manner through their unprofessional conduct by taking sides with the APC and, thereby, allowing the reign of terror and giving opportunity to thugs and criminals loyal to the APC to have a field day.
Namatede said: “In the spirit of fairness and as a factor of the appalling situation we saw in Southern Ijaw in particular, we hereby call on the military high command in Abuja to completely withdraw all soldiers deployed to provide security in that local government because they allegedly aided the hijack of electoral materials by thugs.”
The aspirants through their Chairman, warned INEC against the use of botched election materials, adding that it would be counterproductive.
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