About ten persons, on Friday, October 25, 2019, sustained severe injuries when some youths suspected to be supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC, clashed in Igopiri area of Nembe Local Government Council over political supremacy.
According to an eyewitness account, trouble started when some members of the PDP, said to be travelling to Brass Local Government Council for Douye Diri campaign rally drove to Igopiri jetty, where some APC members were allegedly having a meeting.
The PDP supporters claimed that they erroneously drove into Igopiri instead of Ogbolomabiri jetty where the boats to convey them were waiting before they were attacked but members of the APC alleged that the PDP supporters drove into their midst with the intention to course them harm when the bloody encounter ensued.
It was also learnt that it took the intervention of some youths in the Community to calm the enraged supporters involved in the free-for-all fight that lasted for about thirty minutes.
It was further gathered, the incident raised panic amongst journalists covering the event, as they missed Diri’s campaign rally trip to Akassa and Okpoama communities in Brass LGA
Dan Alabrah, the special adviser to the governor on media and public affairs, in a statement said “what is even more repulsive is that this unacceptable standoffish state of lawlessness has remained in place since the 2019 general election even though the signs had manifested before then.
“It is on record that during the presidential, national assembly and house of assembly elections, some notorious individuals took laws into their hands to visit mayhem and carnage on fellow community folks for political reasons.
“Identified supporters of the PDP were singled out for attacks and chased out of their community. They were never allowed to exercise their voting right. Yet, results were declared from this community and accepted by INEC.
“Why would youths in Nembe not be emboldened to carry out Thursday’s dastardly act when those who turned fellow community folks to internally displaced persons in their own state and country are walking about free?
“Why would security agents that are paid to protect citizens abet such criminal acts by looking the other away and pretending that all is well with Nembe-Bassambiri?”
Also in a statement, the state publicity secretary and secretary, media and publicity committee of APC Governorship Campaign Council, Doifie Buokoribo, described the comment of the PDP as “politically motivated panic-mongering”.
The APC in the statement accused the PDP of trying to foster panic in the state to prepare the ground for a state government-sponsored violence ahead of the November 16 governorship election.
Doifie further described the allegations by PDP as “the ranting of a panic-stricken party rocked by greed and fear of failure owing to its own poor performance, which is struggling to sow anxiety among the people to stave off imminent electoral rejection.
“It is clear to the people of Bayelsa State and, indeed, Nigeria that the Peoples Democratic Party in the state is in a terrible panic mood. Raising false alarm is only a way of managing their anxiety.
“False accusation and panic-mongering have been their signature election eve dress rehearsal for violence and electoral manipulation.
“The whole country saw it in 2015/2016. Ahead of November 16, PDP in the state is engaged in another full-scale practice before the launch of their terror assault on our electoral democracy.
“The party seems even more desperate this time. Hit by a wave of defections and imminent consequence of its poor performance, PDP in Bayelsa is nervous. And it has entered a persecution complex mode,” he added.
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