Putting An End To Political Violence In Bayelsa
3 min read
As political parties prepare for their primaries to select their candidates to fly their party’ flags, there is the need for aspirants, politicians, sponsors and supporters to ensure that elections are not only free and fair bit peace reigns before, during and after the polls in Bayelsa state.
Sometimes, political violence can be intra-party and most often times inter-party. Also, a major driver of political violence is the quest for political power because it is one of the few ways to access wealth in Nigeria. In our climes, politics is generally referred to as ” a do-or-die affair.” Individuals are so desperate to remain in or get hold of power that they resort to ruthless methods that might be avoided if economy and society offered other means of supporting themselves and their families.
Another prominent and compelling cause of political violence is the use of thugs by politicians to settle political scores. Almost all violence are linked to election contestation which caused heightened tension created by competition for public office.
Penultimate week, Bayelsans woke up to the sad news of the gruesome assassination of an APC chieftain, Sunday Frank-Oputu by unknown gunmen in his Baybridge residence, Kpansia, Yenagoa.
The deceased vehemently condemned the attack on a High Court where the presiding Judge, Justice Nayai Aganaba, was stoned with plastic bottles by hoodlums, and had vowed to follow up the matter to a logical conclusion, before his untimely death.
Though his death was alleged to have been politically motivated probably because of the wrangling in the APC, facts have emerged that Oputu’s death might not be unconnected with crisis in his home community, Igbomotoru in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State.
How Bayelsa Delegates Will Vote At PDP Presidential Primaries, By Diri
Also, in Agoro community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state, alleged arsonists set ablaze the houses of the member representing Ekeremor/ Sagbama Federal Constituency, Chief Fred Agbedi and that of his brother.
The governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri who condemned the burning of the houses of a serving House of Representatives member and his brother, described it as uncalled for.
These acts of violence are pointers to the reality that politicians are not ready to tow the path of peaceful co-existence. What they are only interested in is how to grab power not minding the way and manner such is achieved.
That the surging spate of violence is worrisome is to infer the least. This is believed could be traceable to the kind of rascal politics our political elites engage in to install whoever they want to be there. Political violence poses a serious threat to the legitimacy of the state and to the lives of the people.
TNN abhors politics of violence and brigandage. We insist that those persons responsible for acts of violence before, during and after elections be brought to justice. Most often than not the perpetrators of political violence and their sponsors enjoy complete impunity from the law enforcement agencies and their political parties.
It is our candid suggestion that the government and security forces take the role of preventing political violence seriously.
