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The Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers has urged security agencies to shun partisanship in the November 16, 2019 governorship election, saying its members were neutral and will not support any political party or candidate during the poll.
Chairman of the Council and Amanyanabo of Twon Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, gave the warning at a meeting with Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in Yenagoa.
Diete-Spiff, who decried the heavy military presence during the last general elections in the state, said deploying large number of security agencies, especially the military may lead to voter apathy.
“The militarisation of the last general election was too much. We need to appeal to the army, in particular, to try and contain their men so they won’t scare people off the elections. We as royal fathers are neutral.
“We don’t carry any party flags. We comfort ourselves with the highest decorum. We believe that when the election is over, whatever government that comes in will be given the fullest support,” he stated.
Responding, Yakubu said his visit to the state and the decision to meet with the traditional rulers as part of efforts to ensure that the election was violence-free.
He maintained that traditional rulers play a crucial role in the conduct of peaceful and credible polls, but cautioned that there were certain actions and utterances that could lead to a breach of the peace during the electoral process.
He explained that besides logistics challenges, the attitude of the political class has also been a source of concern to the commission.
“No one can accuse you of partisanship. Like the commission, you belong to no political party. Your works are known in your communities.
“We appeal to you to continue to speak to your subjects, the political actors and their supporters on peaceful conduct during the electoral process. We appeal that you use your network to continue to drive peace.”
Yakubu assured that the commission would ensure that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state were not disenfranchised, adding that INEC would engage about 10,000 ad-hoc staff and assured that the commission would conduct a fair, credible and conclusive election.
