APC Rejects Judicial Commission Set Up to Probe Electoral Violence in Bayelsa

APC Rejects Bayelsa Judicial Commission on Electoral Violence

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State has rejected the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by Governor Seriake Dickson to investigate violence recorded during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The party described the commission as inappropriate and alleged that it was established to target APC members in the state.

Bayelsa APC Publicity Secretary Dofie Buokoribo made the party’s position known while addressing journalists in Yenagoa.

According to Buokoribo, Governor Dickson was an interested party in the elections and should therefore not be responsible for establishing a panel to investigate incidents connected with the polls.

“Following the Presidential and National Assembly elections, Governor Dickson established what he called a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the violence that characterised the exercise,” he said.

Buokoribo argued that the governor was both a political participant and beneficiary of the elections, making it inappropriate for his administration to oversee an inquiry into the alleged violence.

He maintained that such an arrangement violated the principle of natural justice that a person should not act as a judge in a matter in which he has an interest.

The APC spokesman further argued that the Presidential and National Assembly elections were federal elections conducted under the Electoral Act and therefore fell outside the jurisdiction of the state government.

On that basis, he said the APC would not recognise the commission and advised party members not to participate in its proceedings.

Buokoribo also stated that the Electoral Act already provided penalties for offences committed during elections and argued that existing legal mechanisms should be used to address any alleged violations.

The party alleged that the commission amounted to a political witch-hunt aimed at APC members, whom it claimed had previously been victims of political intimidation in the state.

The Bayelsa APC also welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to strengthen the presence of security agencies in some states, including Bayelsa, saying increased security would help maintain peace and protect residents.