The judicial commission of inquiry, set up by the Bayelsa State government over the violence that heralded and trailed the recent elections in the state, is the new frontier of the battle between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), OSA OKHOMINA writes.
When the Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson set up the Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice Inikade Eradiri of the State High Court, many foretold a bad outcome for the opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The commission, sitting in Yenagoa, the state capital, was setup to inquire into the violence, mayhem and breach of peace before, during and after the recent general elections in the state.
Some considered the setting up of the Judicial Commission expedient in having a clearer picture of those involved in the crimes and criminality during the last elections, with the aim of not just bringing perpetrators to book, but ensure that the bereaved get closure. For those in this line of thought, the outcome of the commission’s work would help to serve as a deterrent.
But others have questioned whether or not the process will be fair. For those in this line of thought, they argue that the whole process smacks of political retaliation against the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
They argue that the Judicial Commission was designed to smear the image of the APC leaders particularly Former Governor, Timipre Sylva and hang him before the court of public opinion ahead of the governorship election later in the year.
They also insinuate that the recent achievement of Sylva and the APC having won four House of Assembly seats, two House of Representatives and a Senator, is provoking force behind the State Governor’s decision to setup the probe panel.
So far, the testimonies have been revealing just as they are indicting. Accounts of violence, killings and destruction that characterised the last Presidential, National and State Assemblies elections have remained a sore point of the electoral cycle in the state.
Pundits however aver that while every account of an event is likely to have more than one side to it, regardless of how weighty the revelations made before the Judicial commission of inquiry are those indicted would have to be given opportunity to defend themselves.
The beginning…
Violence and killings had occurred in the build up to the election in Bayelsa. But the harrowing experience of deputy commissioner of Police in charge of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Kolawole Okunola gave a fresh perspective to the enormity of violence in the area.
Okunola who was deployed to the state for Presidential and National Assembly election, was posted to the Brass Area, renowned as the hotbed of Bayelsa politics.
The battle between the APC and PDP for Brass has claimed more lives than other parts of the state, as agents of both parties have clashed repeatedly.
Okunola, however got a taste of the tension and anger when he was abducted by armed thugs during the election. He was manhandled and threatened with death. Pictures and a video of his ordeal at the hands of the political thugs were awash on social media.
The officer confirmed that he was seriously assaulted and was at the point of being beheaded before succour came his way.
He explained that his “offence” was his attempt to secure the electoral materials, a situation that didn’t go down well with some youths who suspected he was doing the bidding of one of the political parties in the contest.
“In order to avoid imminent breakdown of law and order by the thugs around, I informed the Commissioner of Police and he directed that both officials of INEC and the materials should be moved to the state capital, Yenagoa, for safety. This was agreed with the military officers on duty,” he added.
It was however learned from another officer that it was in the process of moving those materials that a party candidate led youths to accost Okunola. The police source revealed that the youths assaulted Okunola and threatened to kill him if he failed to direct the INEC officials to go back to the office and continue collation of results.
LEADERSHIP Sunday, gathered from some youths who were in the know of what transpired that the manhandling of the police officer was instigated by a claim that any collation of result moved to Yenagoa would be hijacked by the ruling PDP and changed in its favour.
One of them who spoke on condition of anonymity said “The claim that our House of Representative Candidate, Hon. Isreal Sunny-Goli, was aware is false. We (Youths) and security operatives were at the waterside when some government officials and the PDP candidate came. We were shocked and became increasingly angry when we heard that the Police Commissioner ordered the INEC Ad-hoc staff and the result being collated to be taken into the boat without explanation.
“We started grumbling and calling our party leaders on what to do. These people with the results were all PDP leaders. A Military Major, who knows what might happen if such results are manipulated and declared in favour of the PDP came into the matter angrily and threatened to shoot the deputy commissioner. It was at that point it became clear to us that the Police deputy commissioner had been compromised,” the source alleged.
The APC publicity secretary in the state, Doifie Buokoribo, while corroborating what the youth said, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that some PDP members like the caretaker chairman of Brass, Victor Isaiah, stormed INEC Collation Centre with a busload of thugs, renting the air with war chants.
He said the caretaker committee chairman, accompanied by Mrs Marie Ebikake, the PDP candidate for Brass/Nembe Federal House of Representatives, “went into the collation room with the intent to stop the collation and announcement of results.”
He argued that Twon-Brass is the senatorial headquarters for Bayelsa East Senatorial district, and all election results from the area should be collated and announced in Twon-Brass and not Yenagoa where Victor Isaiah and Jonathan Obuebite (Bayelsa State Commissioner for Education), in connivance with the Nigerian Police, attempted to cart away election results.
“As a candidate, Marie Ebikake wasn’t supposed to be in the collation room, but she appeared there twice trying to prevent the collation and announcement Bassambiri-Nembe result.”
Read Also:
The APC spokesman said that the deputy commissioner of Police, Mr. Kola Okunola was seen making a phone call after which he announced to party agents and INEC staff that the results would be taken from Brass, the Bayelsa East senatorial headquarters, to Yenagoa for security reasons.
He added that voters suspected foul play and insisted that the results be collated but that the Police officer stood his ground and ordered INEC officials with election results into a waiting military gunboat.
“Voters accosted the deputy commissioner of Police and demanded he call his men and order them to return the election results to where it rightfully should be collated, counted, and announced, and expressed fear that there was a plan to tamper with results.
“Deputy Commissioner of Police wasn’t abducted, as widely speculated. Voters acted in defence of their votes by insisting he orders his men accompanying the election results to Yenagoa to return them to Brass Local Government Secretariat where the results are constitutionally supposed to be collated and announced.”
But the police hierarchy in Abuja was displeased with what happened to the officer such that the acting Inspector- General of Police, (IGP) Mohammed Adamu sent a high-powered delegation led by the DIG Elections South-south, DIG Fredrick Lakanu for on the spot assessment of the situation.
The police viewed the conduct of the youths as a gross affront to the constituted authority and the laws of the land.
The DIG, while addressing senior officers at the Bayelsa State Police Command condemned the act in its entirety and in line with the instructions of the Inspector General of Police, ordered for the identification, arrest, and prosecution of all those connected, no matter how remote, their proxies and sponsors.
Arrests were made accordingly. Hon Israel Sunny-Goli, an APC lawmaker representing Brass Constituency 1, and the Federal House of Representatives member-elect representing Nembe/Brass Constituency, were arrested by the Police for masterminding the attack on the DCP. Two other persons were arrested in connection with the incident.
A statement by ACP Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer, confirmed the arrest of Hon. Goli, describing him as the “mastermind and ringleader of the irresponsible, unprovoked and unwarranted attack on a Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Kola Okunola, in Twon, Brass, Bayelsa State, on Sunday, 24th February, 2019.”
He added that the two other persons arrested in connection with the incident are Tamarapreye Victor, ‘m’ 34yrs and Azi Newton ‘m’ 34yrs.
He said Hon Goli, a candidate of one of the major political parties in the House of Representatives elections in Brass Constituency, Bayelsa State, was arrested “in his hideout somewhere in Abuja this morning, 1st March, 2019, in a well-coordinated covert operation.”
It was however gathered that the Hon has been released.
The PDP, APC brickbats as commission gets to work….
Smarting from the ouburst of violence in the course of the elections, the Bayelsa State government setup the Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
But no sooner than the commission was setup than it started inviting the top APC chieftains to clear their names of sundry allegations.
Apart from APC leader in the state and former governor, Timipre Sylva, others invited include a member of Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli, the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, and Mr. Famous Danumiegha, the candidate of the APC for the Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in the last election.
Their invitation followed an order granted the Police by Justice Okon Abang of Federal High Court Abuja to arrest the Lawmaker representing Brass 1, Constituency in the House of Assembly, Hon, Israel Sunny-Goli, an Oil Surveillance Contractor, Sam Kodjo, and others over alleged complicity in the February 23, 2019 attack and abduction of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kola Okunlola in Brass.
The commission has received written and oral testimonies on the role played by politicians since it commenced sitting heard the testimonies of witnesses totaling 32 so far.
Led in evidence by the Commission’s counsel, Professor Festus Emiri, the State Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Daupirimo Ikuromo, said despite the peace accord signed, thugs allegedly loyal to Sylva forced the leadership of Okpoama and Ewoama Communities to compel their people to vote only in favour of the APC.
Another testifier, Chief Ebitimi Ayah, the Regend of Ewoama community said he was compelled to authorise a proclamation ordering his subjects to vote only APC or risk losing their lives.
Others who testified before the commission are the Special Adviser to Governor Dickson on Student Affairs, Mr Austin Adigio and Chief Febor Kuroekigh the Public Relations Officer Iwoama Chiefs Council.
Expectedly, the APC rejected the Judicial Commission of Inquiry, describing it as an illegitimate panel set up to persecute APC members in the State.
The APC, through the state publicity secretary, Dofie Buokoribo, lashed out at the governor for setting up a “strange Judicial Commission” on electoral violence with APC members as clearly marked out targets.
He advised members of the party not to have anything to do with the panel, adding that “Gov. Dickson is not the Federal Government.”
He added “ The presidential and National Assembly election are federal elections and Gov. Dickson does not have the powers. If Gov. Dickson is ready for his usual drama, we will not be part of it. “
The APC also accused the state governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, of wasting the scare resources of the state to procure violence and compromise elections.
Similarly, the minister of state for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri who said he would not appear before the Judicial Commission further described it as a mere smokescreen to divert the attention of the people of the state from alleged Dickson’s bad governance in the past seven years.
Lokpobiri condemned what he described as the governor’s incessant setting up of commissions against the letters and the spirit of the Nigerian Constitution.
Lokpobiri in a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media, Mr. George Oji, said the invitation was Dickson’s usual antics to cow opposition in the state.
The minister said the concern of the impoverished people of Bayelsa was alleged misappropriation of the state’s resources by Dickson and not the diversionary issue of the commission of inquiry.
