The Bayelsa State chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has alleged that there is a plot to disrupt the House of Assembly election in some parts of the state on Saturday.
The state chairman of IPAC, Brisbe Kpodoh, who stated this during a press conference at the NUJ Secretariat in Yenagoa, on Wednesday, called for peaceful and violence-free polls.
Bayelsa IPAC officials led by Brisbe Kpodoh briefing journalists at the NUJ Press Centre, Yenagoa on Thursday
He said that information available to them indicated that some political parties and their supporters were very angry over the outcome of the February 25 presidential and National Assembly polls, and were working to unleash mayhem on Saturday.
Kpodoh, who is also the state chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), urged all aggrieved parties and persons to approach the courts to seek redress instead of resorting to violence.
According to him, the group is worried about moves to scuttle the movement of voters that would participate in the balloting process in some local government areas namely, Brass, Nembe, Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma/Opokuma.
Kpodoh said, “This call is coming on the heels of information and activities of certain political parties and their followers that have come to the notice of IPAC, following the outcome of the February 25th 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections, notably in Brass, Nembe, Yenagoa, Southern and Kolokuma/Opokuma LGAs where IPAC is noticing the anger of those not happy about the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections.
“Of particular concern is the imminent threat to movement of voters to remote areas to cast their votes in Brass and Nembe LGAs, and also Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma/Opokuma LGAs, noticeably in wards 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Brass LGA, particularly in Okpoma and Odioma; Nembe constituencies 1 and 2, and in Yenagoa constituency 2.”
The council called on all political parties and their leaders and candidates to caution their supporters against taking the laws into their hands and cause any form of violent conduct that will disrupt the forthcoming balloting on March 18.
IPAC also appealed to the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to ensure adequate protection for all voters for free, fair and credible electoral process in Bayelsa State.
