Why there’ll be election violence during Bayelsa supplementary election

The Bayelsa state supplementary election is
holding today (Saturday) in Southern Ijaw
Local Government area and 102 polling units
across six other LGAs in the state.
The Peoples Democratic Party, Governor
Seriake Dickson, is being challenged by a
former governor of the state, the candidate
of the All Progressives Congress, Timipre
Sylva.
Dickson is leading with 81,929 votes while
Sylva has 56,514 votes. The pair are expected
to compete for the 158,827 votes expected
from today’s rerun.
Due to widespread violence, ballot box
snatching and harassment and abduction of
electoral officials, the election of December 7
was cancelled in Southern Ijaw, which has a
total of 120, 827 registered voters, 425
polling units and five voting points.
However, in spite of the rescheduling, a
repeat of the initial election is expected when
the election process commences.
In the few days leading to the supplementary
election, several cases of pre-election
violence have already been recorded in
Southern Ijaw and other parts of the state.
As a result of the local government area
being the home of a chunk of the former
militant leaders from the state, the violent
acts are being brazenly perpetrated.
According to a report by Punch Newspapers,
many residents of Peremabiri, Korokorosie,
Aliebobiri and Oporoma, all in the Southern
Ijaw local government area, have fled their
homes in apprehension of the predicted
violence.
In the past few days, there have been several
armed attacks and incidents of violent acts
recorded in the state.
Some of the prominent attacks include the
home of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly
Speaker, Konbowei Benson, which was
attacked with explosives on Thursday.
The Bayelsa state police also, during the
course of the week, arrested five people for
planning to attack the house of former
President Goodluck Jonathan in Yenagoa.
Also, on Friday, the governor’s lodge in
Ekeremor turned into a fight arena, as aides
of Governor Seriake Dickson and other PDP
stalwarts were inflicted with machete
wounds.
Meanwhile, the State Chairman of the APC,
Tiwei Orunimighe, has accused the Bayelsa
Speaker of harbouring over 200 armed thugs
in his hometown, Korokorosie.
“As we talk now, there are more than 200
armed youths in Korokorosei being housed
by the Speaker. We are also aware that
another chieftain from Akassa is also
bringing another 200 to Southern Ijaw Local
Government Area. All these are people who
are shouting but they are the ones
perpetrating violence and using militants.”