Rivers rerun: Dickson seeks probe of election violence, congratulates Wike

AGAINST the backdrop of the violence that greeted the Rivers State rerun election, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has 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 nation’s
democracy.

Dickson, in a congratulatory message to Governor Wike, the government and people of Rivers State, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its supporters, lauded the spirited effort to
checkmate the APC and its collaborators to subvert the collective will of the people at 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.

To this end, Dickson also congratulated PDP candidates who emerged victorious and party faithful “for reposing so much confidence in the party and its candidates in the elections.”