Bayelsa poll: ‘IGP’s explanation confirmed security agents connived with thugs to rig election’

Our Reporter

The Senator Douye Diri Campaign Organisation has faulted the claim by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, that the violence that marred last Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State was caused by people he described as fake policemen.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the organization, Dr. Jonathan Obuebite, said in a statement on Wednesday that the IGP’s statement only reinforced the position of the party that security agencies connived with thugs of the All Progressives Congress APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission to rig the election in favour of the APC.

Obuebite stated that it was inconceivable for the police authorities to claim that fake policemen perpetrated the shocking subversion of the will of the Bayelsa people in the charade called governorship election in Bayelsa.

The campaign organisation spokesman wondered how fake policemen would overpower the over 32,000 genuine policemen who were deployed to provide security in the election.

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Obuebite said that while it is distressing for the police to attribute the electoral violence in Bayelsa to fake policemen, it was a confirmation of the PDP’s earlier claim that security agencies, especially the Army, colluded with the electoral body and thugs of the APC to rig the election.

He said that the Police explanation was as incredible as it is untenable, as it did not explain why the original police did not arrest those fake policemen.

He also wondered how the so called fake policemen carried out arrests and took their victims to police stations.

He said: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement by the Inspector General of Police that fake policemen and soldiers were behind the violence that marred the election in Bayelsa.

“The Senator Douye Diri Campaign Organisation wishes to say that the Police account was a desperate attempt to provide a non-existent answer to the screaming issue of legitimacy around the Bayelsa election because of the violence unleashed on the state by federal forces and thugs on Election Day.

“We call on the IGP, as a respected  public officer and the number one law enforcer with enormous influence and responsibilities, to show Nigerians the identities of these so called criminal impostors and how many of them have been apprehended by the nation’s police.

“The SDD Campaign Organisation finds it laughable that a few so called fake policemen would overpower over 32,000 police personnel to desecrate the ballot with violence in the last election in Bayelsa.

“We therefore call on the Police authorities to look for a better story to cover up the indefensible security collusion with thugs to rig the Bayelsa governorship poll.”