Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson on Tuesday commended the
winners of the recent State and National Assembly re-run elections in
Rivers State, but called on the Presidency to investigate perpetrators
of electoral violence and punish the culprits to protect the nation’s
democracy.
According to him, the resilience and bravery of his Rivers State
counterpart, Nyesom Wike, the Chiefs and people of Rivers State was a
manifestation of the people’s resolve and conviction in the nations
democracy.
Dickson in a congratulatory message to Governor Wike, the government
and people of Rivers State, also praised the leadership of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and its supporters throughout the state for
resisting attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its
collaborators to subvert the collective will of the people as was
evidenced in the polls.
He also condemned the action of the security agencies, “who instead of
being neutral, became openly biased and supportive to the opposition
in its efforts at maiming, intimidating and derailing the process.”
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari and other relevant organs of
the government to “carry out a thorough investigation and bring the
perpetrators of election violence to book to protect the nation’s
democracy and serve as a deterrent to others.”
Dickson expressed gratitude to the PDP in Rivers State and governor
Wike for defying all the odds to achieve victory for the party in all
the elections.
He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
security agencies and other major stakeholders to protect the nation’s
democracy through proper conduct of future elections, in line with the
tenets and practice of democracy all over the world.
The governor also used the opportunity to congratulate all the PDP
candidates, who emerged victorious and party faithful “for reposing so
much confidence in the party and its candidates in the elections.”