Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has expressed concerns over politicians arming civilians to manipulate the electoral process. Diri stated this, yesterday, during a special retirement thanksgiving service in honour of Air Vice Marshal Nelson Calmday at the Living Faith Church of God, at Akenfa-Epie, Yenagoa.
Diri, who said the development portends grave danger for the country’s electoral system, noted that because of the trend, there is a general notion that politics is synonymous with violence, corruption, and dishonesty.
The governor said most decent people dread politics because of such a notion. He, however, dismissed the perception and encouraged such people, particularly Christians, to get actively involved in politics to help sanitise the electoral system. Diri stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to change the narrative for the sake of posterity. He said: “Politics should be played by decent and honest people, who are ready to serve and protect the interest of the people.
“How long will Africans continue to play politics of violence, brigandage and impunity as if we are in the Stone Age? We should learn to rise above such antics in our electoral system.
“In saner climes, elections take place peacefully without violence. Should we hand over this state to a group of gangsters; people who think the state belongs to them?”
Diri, who also attended a thanksgiving service and children dedication of the member representing Yenagoa/Kolokuma Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Oforji Oboku, at the Church of God Mission, Yenizuegene, condemned the incidence of vote-buying during elections.
The governor said: “There is what we call poverty of the mind apart from poverty of the pocket. There is also integrity in poverty.”
When your mind is intact, nobody will influence you with little money.
“You have tested our government, which says we will not use any organ to kill anybody. We want our state to be peaceful; we want our state to develop. You are seeing it, but on the day of election, you collect money to vote for those who do not mean well for the state. Those you do not see until election season, and afterwards they disappear.”
