Bayelsa Election: Era Of Ballot Box Snatching Is Over – CDS Warns Ahead Of November 11 Poll

Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa has warned that ballot box theft and electoral violence would not be tolerated at the off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo on November 11.

The CDS who gave this warning on the heels of a directive from President Bola Tinubu assured that the off-cycle elections in the three states will be peaceful.

Naija News reports that Gen. Musa warned security agents not to interfere with the votes and advised anyone who was preparing acts of violence to avoid the three states’ elections.

“Last week, we held a meeting with the National Security Adviser, the INEC Chairman and other stakeholders on the need to conduct credible and peaceful election. For us, that is a marching order,” he said.

“The era where people will use violence to intimidate voters and snatch ballot boxes is gone. We want to warn those who think it is their birthright to perpetrate violence during elections that henceforth it is not going to be business as usual. Any member of the armed forces caught compromising the election risks a court-martial,” he added.

His statement comes as Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa are getting ready for their governorship elections.

Next weekend, residents in the three states will head to their polling units to vote for their preferred governorship candidate, determining who will rule their states for the next four years.