Elections: Bayelsa leaders threaten mass protest over alleged police intimidation

Voters checking INEC register for their details before voting. PHOTO: FILE

Barely one week to Bayelsa State governorship election, some prominent leaders have vowed to resist the intimidation or harassment of voters by security agents, especially the Police.

They said if nothing urgent were done to address the issues, they would be left with no choice, but to lead mass protests.

Reacting to an alleged harassment of in Nembe communities by Nigeria Police Force Special Operation Unit (SWAT) ahead of the governorship election, the leaders warned that such moves would be resisted.

The coordinator of the forum, Timi Osborn, said: “These incidents are reported to be taking place in the run-up to the forthcoming governorship election slated for November 11,2023 in the state.

“It is with utmost alarm that we note the increasing incidents of alleged police misconduct and abuses targeting the residents of Nembe communities over the past few weeks. Such actions not only violate the fundamental rights of our citizens, but also pose a severe threat to the peaceful conduct of the upcoming gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State.”

The forum, therefore, called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, whose primary responsibility is to maintain law and order, to immediately investigate these allegations and take necessary steps to ensure that SWAT officers operating in Nembe communities adhere to the highest standards of professionalism and respect for human rights.

Osborn said the actions are necessary to avoid undue interference with the democratic process and as well maintain public trust in law enforcement agencies.

The forum said it is unacceptable that citizens, who are registered voters in certain communities of the state, would be driven out of their ancestral communities during elections, owing to the desperation of politicians to get elected into offices.

Meanwhile, a civil society organisation, Bayelsa Mandate Forum, has expressed worry over recent outbreak of violence and the killing of a supporter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nembe community, in the state.

Mrs. Esther Ikurite, chairperson of the forum, in a statement, linked the act of violence to inflammatory remarks calling for violence against opposition party supporters, allegedly made by some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC).