The Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council on Thursday urged security agencies to avert spread of politically motivated violence in Nembe ahead of the Nov 11 guber polls.
The traditional rulers said that historically, at every election cycle , political gladiators stoked violence at flashpoints in Nembe, Brass, Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas of Bayelsa.
The royal fathers at a press conference at the secretariat of the traditional rulers council urged law enforcement agents depolyed to Bayelsa to protect the people from anticipated attacks, before, during and after the Nov.11 governorship elections in the state.
The press conference was addressed by the Chairman of the Traditional Rulers Council and Ruler of Ekpetiama Kingdom, King Bubaraye Dakolo, in Yenagoa.
Dakolo said that traditional rulers from the three LGAs have gathered intelligence that there are plans to create politically orchestrated violence, ahead of the election.
He called on law enforcement agencies to not only verbally reassure the people of Bayelsa but ensure that there is no spilling of blood before, during and after the gubernatorial elections.
According to him, it has become worrisome to the traditional institution in the state that some politicians are bent on destroying the peace that the current administration led by Gov. Douye Diri, has brought about in the state for over three years.
“The attention of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council has been drawn to the recent violent incident in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
“On Saturday August 12, 2023 the peace which Nembe had enjoyed for a reasonable while was breached in the most unfortunate manner creating a serious sense of insecurity, panic and fear among the people of the town, the local government and the state in general.
“Looking back at recent historical precedence, it could be inferred, and rightly so, that the attack on the community is not unconnected with the upcoming November, 11 gubernatorial elections in the state.
“We do not think that law enforcement should allow political actors to violate all the laws of the land and walk away free in the name of politics.
“Unfortunately, we have seen similar acts of violence being meted out to Bayelsa people in other election seasons in this state and the perpetrators walked away free. We hope it does not repeat in this season,” Dakolo said.
He requested that law enforcement agencies must therefore do everything within the law to ensure that there is no further violence in Nembe LGA in particular, and in other parts of Bayelsa State.
According to the monarchs, all incidents of violence in the state must be properly investigated and suspects brought to book irrespective of status.
“Politicians must know that election is no war – ‘Election No Be War’.They do not need to spill anybody’s blood for a so-called electoral advantage. We strongly believe that it is time to stop handling the tormentors of the Nembe people with kid gloves. We cannot afford to lose lives every season.
“There is also a high level of apprehension that there would be an outbreak of politically orchestrated violence in Southern Ijaw, Ekeremor and Brass in a short while,” Dakolo said.