Several youths wielding machetes attacked the Special Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Inter-Party Matters, Austin Adigio, and three other members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Okpoama and Eweama communities of Brass Local Government (LGA) area of Bayelsa State.
Several youths wielding machetes attacked the Special Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Inter-Party Matters, Austin Adigio, and three other members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Okpoama and Eweama communities of Brass Local Government (LGA) area of Bayelsa State.
Our correspondent learned that the youths were allegedly members of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Until recently Mr. Adigio was a member of the APC as well, however, he left the Party to serve in the administration of Governor Timipre Sylva.
A witness claimed that the attackers demanded that anyone who was not a member of the APC leave the community and forget the election.
Reports of increased political violence and insecurity in Bayelsa State ahead of the governorship elections have emerged. On Thursday, SaharaReporters published a report about a recent analysis by the CLEEN Foundation concerning violent “hot-spots” in Bayelsa State.
In order to combat the threat of violence, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSDC) announced today it would deploy 10,000 personnel in Bayelsa State. The NSDC Commandant, Abdullahi Gana Muhammad, promised the inhabitants of the State that the elections would be “very peaceful”.
Commandant Muhammad called upon the candidates to accept defeat with dignity, and for parents to ensure their children were not coopted into “thuggish gangs”.
The deployment of 10,000 NSDC personnel will compliment the 14,000 police officers promised by the Inspector General of the Police, Solomon Arase. Recently the IGP Arase announced that the police would restrict all vehicular movement within the Bayelsa State from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM on the December 5th election day.
The police announced that essential personnel such as INEC officials and ambulance drivers would not be affected by the movement restriction.